THE  LIBRARY 

OF 
THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 
LOS  ANGELES 


VOCAL  MASTERY 


VOCAL  MASTERY 

TALKS    WITH  MASTER  SINGERS 
AND    TEACHERS 


COMPRISING   INTERVIEWS    WITH    CARUSO, 

FARRAR.  MAUREL,  LEHMANN, 

AND  OTHERS 


BY 

HARRIETTE  BROWER 

Author  of  "Piano  Mastery,  First  and  Second 

Series,1'  "Home-Help  in  Music  Study," 

"Self-Help  in  Piano  Study" 


WITH   TWENTY    PORTRAITS 


NEW  YORK 

FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  1917,  by 
OLIVER  DITSON  COMPANY 

Copyright,  1918,  1919,  by 
THE  MUSICAL  OBSERVER  COMPANY 


Copyright,  1920,  by 
FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANT 

All  rights  reserved,  including  that  of  translation 
into  foreign  languages 


Music 
Library 


FOREWORD 

It  has  long  been  a  cherished  desire  to  pre- 
pare a  series  of  Talks  with  famous  Singers, 
which  should  have  an  equal  aim  with  Talks  with 
Master  Pianists,  namely,  to  obtain  from  the 
artists  their  personal  ideas  concerning  their 
art  and  its  mastery,  and,  when  possible,  some 
inkling  as  to  the  methods  by  which  they  them- 
selves have  arrived  at  the  goal. 

There  have  been  unexpected  and  untold  diffi- 
culties in  the  way  of  such  an  undertaking. 
The  greater  the  artist  the  more  numerous  the 
body-guard  which  surrounds  him — or  her;  the 
more  stringent  the  watch  over  the  artist's  time 
and  movements.  If  one  is  able  to  penetrate 
this  barrier  and  is  permitted  to  see  the  artist, 
one  finds  usually  an  affable  gentleman,  a 
charming  woman,  with  simple  manners  and 
kindly  intentions. 

However,  when  one  is  fortunate  enough  to 
come  in  touch  with  great  singers,  one  finds  it 
difficult  to  draw  from  them  a  definite  idea  of 
the  process  by  which  they  have  achieved  vie- 


1922391 


FOREWORD 


tory.  A  pianist  can  describe  his  manner  of 
tone  production,  methods  of  touch,  fingering, 
pedaling;  the.  violinist  can  discourse  on  the  how 
arm,  use  of  left  hand,  on  staccato  and  pizzi- 
cati ;  but  the  singer  is  loath  to  describe  his  own 
instrument.  And  even  if  singers  could  an- 
alyze, the  description  might  not  fit  any  case 
but  their  own.  For  the  art  of  singing  is  an 
individual  art,  the  perfecting  an  instrument 
hidden  from  sight.  Each  artist  must  achieve 
mastery  by  overcoming  difficulties  which  beset 
his  own  personal  path. 

Despite  these  obstacles,  every  effort  has 
been  put  forth  to  induce  artists  to  speak  from 
an  educational  standpoint.  It  is  hoped  the 
various  hints  and  precepts  they  have  given,  may 
prove  of  benefit  to  singers  and  teachers.  Limi- 
tations of  space  prevent  the  inclusion  of  many 
other  artists  and  teachers. 

HARRIETTS  B ROWER. 

150  West  80  Street, 

New  York  City. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

FOREWORD • iii 

ENRICO  CARUSO The  Value  of  Work     .      .       1 

GERALDINE  FAHRAR    ....  The     Will     to    Succeed     a 

Compelling  Force       .      .     10 

VICTOR  MAUREL Mind  Is  Everything      .     .     24 

A  VISIT  TO  MME.  LILLI  LEHMANN 36 

AMELITA  GALLI-CUHCI    .      .      .   Self-teaching  the  Great  Es- 
sential      48 

GIUSEPPE  DE  LUCA     ....   Ceaseless  Effort  Necessary 

for  Artistic  Perfection  .     60 

LUISA  TETRAZZIXI      ....  The  Coloratura  Voice  .     .     70 

ANTONIO  Scorn Training  American  Singers 

for  Opera 80 

ROSA  RAISA Patience   and  Perseverance 

Win  Results    ....     88 

LOUISE  HOMER The     Requirements     of     a 

Musical  Career      ...     98 

GIOVANNI  MARTINELLI    .     .     .   "Let    Us    Have    Plenty   of 

Opera  in  America"    .      .110 

ANNA  CASE Inspired   Interpretation      .   118 

FLORENCE  EASTON     ....  Problems    Confronting   the 

Young  Singer  ....   127 

MARGUERITE  D'ALVAHEZ  .  .  The  Message  of  the  Singer  139 
MARIA  BARRIEXTOS  ....  Be  Your  Own  Critic  .  .  147 
CLAUDIA  Muzio A  Child  of  the  Opera  .  .  156 

EDWARD    JOHNSON    (EDOUAHDO 
Di   GIOVANNI)        ....  The  Evolution  of  an  Opera 

Star 165 

REINALD  WERRENHATII  .     .     .   Achieving   Success   on    the 

Concert  Stage  .     .     .     .175 


Contents 


PAGE 

SOPHIE  BHASLAU Making  a  Career  in  Amer- 
ica       185 

MORGAN  KINGSTON    ....   The   Spiritual   Side   of  the 

Singer's   Art    ....  193 

FRIEDA  HEMPEL A    Lesson    with    a    Prima 

Donna  .  202 


WITH  THE  MASTER  TEACHERS 

DAVID  BISPHAM The  Making  of  Artist  Sing- 
ers       213 

OSCAR  SAENGER    .     .     .     . "    .   Use  of   Records   in   Vocal 

Study 225 

HERBERT  WITHERSPOON  .     .     .  Memory,  Imagination,  An- 
alysis        238 

YEATJIAN  GRIFFITH  ....  Causation 249 

J.  H.  DUVAI Some  Secrets  of  Beautiful 

Sing-ing 258 


THE    CODA A    Resume      ...          .  266 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Enrico  Caruso Frontispiece 

FACING 
PAGE 

Geraldine  Farrar 10 

Victor  Maurel 24 

Amelita  Galli-Curci 48 

Giuseppe  de  Luca 60 

Luisa  Tetrazzini 70 

Antonio  Scotti 80 

Rosa  Raisa 88 

Louise  Homer 98 

Giovanni  Martinelli 110 

Anna  Case 118 

Florence  Easton 128 

Marguerite  d'Alvarez 140 

Maria  Barrientos 148 

Claudia  Muzio 156 

Edward  Johnson 160 

Reinald  Werrenrath 176 

Sophie  Braslau 186 

Morgan  Kingston 194 

Frieda  Hempel       .            202 


VOCAL  MASTERY 

i 

ENRICO  CARUSO 

THE  VALUE  OF  WORK 

ENRICO  CARUSO  !  The  very  name  itself 
calls  up  visions  of  the  greatest  operatic  tenor  of 
the  present  generation,  to  those  who  have  both 
heard  and  seen  him  in  some  of  his  many  roles. 
Or,  to  those  who  have  only  listened  to  his 
records,  again  visions  of  the  wonderful  voice, 
with  its  penetrating,  vibrant,  ringing  quality, 
the  impassioned  delivery,  which  stamps  every 
note  he  sings  with  the  hall  mark  of  genius,  the 
tremendous,  unforgetable  climaxes.  Not  to 
have  heard  Caruso  sing  is  to  have  missed  some- 
thing out  of  life;  not  to  have  seen  him  act  in 
some  of  his  best  parts  is  to  have  missed  the  in- 
spiration of  great  acting.  As  Mr.  Huneker 
once  wrote:  "The  artistic  career  of  Caruso  is 
as  well  known  as  that  of  any  great  general  or 
statesman;  he  is  a  national  figure.  He  is  a 
great  artist,  and,  what  is  rarer,  a  genuine  man." 

And  how  we  have  seen  his  art  grow  and 


Focal  Mastery 


ripen,  since  he  first  began  to  sing  for  us.  The 
date  of  his  first  appearance  at  the  Metropol- 
itan Opera  House,  New  York,  was  November 
23rd,  1903.  Then  the  voice  was  marvelous 
in  its  freshness  and  beauty,  but  histrionic  de- 
velopment lagged  far  behind.  The  singer 
seemed  unable  to  make  us  visualize  the  charac- 
ters he  endeavored  to  portray.  It  was  always 
Caruso  who  sang  a  certain  part ;  we  could  never 
forget  that.  But  constant  study  and  experi- 
ence have  eliminated  even  this  defect,  so  that 
to-day  the  singer  and  actor  are  justly  balanced; 
both  are  superlatively  great.  Can  any  one 
who  hears  and  sees  Caruso  in  the  role  of  Sam- 
son, listen  unmoved  to  the  throbbing  wail  of 
that  glorious  voice  and  the  unutterable  woe  of 
the  blind  man's  poignant  impersonation? 

IN   EAELY   DAYS 

Enrico  Caruso  was  born  in  Naples,  the 
youngest  of  nineteen  children.  His  father 
was  an  engineer  and  the  boy  was  taught  the 
trade  in  his  father's  shop,  and  was  expected  to 
follow  in  his  father's  footsteps.  But  destiny 
decreed  otherwise.  As  he  himself  said,  to  one 
listener : 

"I  had  always  sung  as  far  back  as  I  can 
remember,  for  the  pure  love  of  it.  My  voice 


Enrico  Caruso  3 

was  contralto,  and  I  sang  in  a  church  in  Naples 
from  fourteen  till  I  was  eighteen.  Then  I  had 
to  go  into  the  army  for  awhile.  I  had  never 
learned  how  to  sing,  for  I  had  never  been 
taught.  One  day  a  young  officer  of  my  com- 
pany said  to  me:  'You  will  spoil  your  voice 
if  you  keep  on  singing  like  that' — for  I  suppose 
I  was  fond  of  shouting  in  those  days.  'You 
should  learn  how  to  sing,'  he  said  to  me;  'you 
must  study.'  He  introduced  me  to  a  young 
man  who  at  once  took  an  interest  in  me  and 
brought  me  to  a  singing  master  named 
Vergine.  I  sang  for  him,  but  he  was  very  dis- 
couraging. His  verdict  was  it  would  be  hope- 
less to  try  to  make  a  singer  out  of  me.  As 
it  was,  I  might  possibly  earn  a  few  lire  a  night 
with  my  voice,  but  according  to  his  idea  I  had 
far  better  stick  to  my  father's  trade,  in  which 
I  could  at  least  earn  forty  cents  a  day. 

"But  my  young  friend  would  not  give  up  so 
easily.  He  begged  Vergine  to  hear  me  again. 
Things  went  a  little  better  with  me  the  second 
time  and  Vergine  consented  to  teach  me. 

RIGID  DISCIPLINE 

"And  now  began  a  period  of  rigid  discipline. 
In  Vergine's  idea  I  had  been  singing  too  loud ; 
I  must  reverse  this  and  sing  everything  softly. 


I  felt  as  though  in  a  strait- jacket;  all  my 
efforts  at  expression  were  most  carefully  re- 
pressed; I  was  never  allowed  to  let  out  my 
voice.  At  last  came  a  chance  to  try  my  wings 
in  opera,  at  ten  lire  a  night  ($2.00) .  In  spite 
of  the  regime  of  repression  to  which  I  had  been 
subjected  for  the  past  three  years,  there  were 
still  a  few  traces  of  my  natural  feeling  left. 
The  people  were  kind  to  me  and  I  got  a  few 
engagements.  Vergine  had  so  long  trained 
me  to  sing  softly,  never  permitting  me  to  sing 
out,  that  people  began  to  call  me  the  Broken 
Tenor. 

THE   FIRST   REAL   CHANCE 

"A  better  chance  came  before  long.  In 
1896  the  Opera  House  in  Salerno  decided  to 
produce  I  Puritani.  At  the  last  moment  the 
tenor  they  had  engaged  to  sing  the  leading 
role  became  ill,  and  there  was  no  one  to  sing 
the  part.  Lombardi,  conductor  of  the  orches- 
tra, told  the  directors  there  was  a  young 
singer  in  Naples,  about  eighteen  miles  away, 
who  he  knew  could  help  them  out  and  sing  the 
part.  When  they  heard  the  name  Caruso, 
they  laughed  scornfully.  'What,  the  Broken 
Tenor?'  they  asked.  But  Lombardi  pressed 
my  claim,  assured  them  I  could  be  engaged, 


Enrico  Caruso 


and  no  doubt  would  be  glad  to  sing  for  nothing. 
''So  I  was  sent  for.  Lombardi  talked  with 
me  awhile  first.  He  explained  by  means  of 
several  illustrations,  that  I  must  not  stand  cold 
and  stiff  in  the  middle  of  the  stage,  while  I 
sang  nice,  sweet  tones.  No,  I  must  let  out  my 
voice,  I  must  throw  myself  into  the  part,  I 
must  be  alive  to  it — must  live  it  and  in  it.  In 
short,  I  must  act  as  well  as  sing. 

A    REVELATION 

"It  was  all  like  a  revelation  to  me.  I  had 
never  realized  before  how  absolutely  necessary 
it  was  to  act  out  the  character  I  attempted. 
So  I  sang  /  Puritani,  with  as  much  success  as 
could  have  been  expected  of  a  young  singer 
with  so  little  experience.  Something  awoke 
in  me  at  that  moment.  From  that  night  I 
was  never  called  a  'Broken  Tenor*  again.  I 
made  a  regular  engagement  at  two  thousand 
lire  a  month.  Out  of  this  I  paid  regularly  to 
Vergine  the  twenty-five  per  cent  which  he  al- 
ways demanded.  He  was  somewhat  reconciled 
to  me  when  he  saw  that  I  had  a  real  engage- 
ment and  was  making  a  substantial  sum, 
though  he  still  insisted  that  I  would  lose  my 
voice  in  a  few  years.  But  time  passes  and  I 
am  still  singing. 


Focal  Mastery 


RESULTS   OF   THE   REVELATION 

"The  fact  that  I  could  secure  an  opera  en- 
gagement made  me  realize  I  had  within  me  the 
making  of  an  artist,  if  I  would  really  labor  for 
such  an  end.  When  I  became  thoroughly  con- 
vinced of  this,  I  was  transformed  from  an  ama- 
teur into  a  professional  in  a  single  day.  I 
now  began  to  take  care  of  myself,  learn  good 
habits,  and  endeavored  to  cultivate  my  mind 
as  well  as  my  voice.  The  conviction  gradually 
grew  upon  me  that  if  I  studied  and  worked, 
I  would  be  able  one  day  to  sing  in  such  a  way 
as  to  satisfy  myself." 


Caruso  believes  in  the  necessity  for  work, 
and  sends  this  message  to  all  ambitious  stud- 
ents: "To  become  a  singer  requires  work, 
work,  and  again  work!  It  need  not  be  in  any 
special  corner  of  the  earth ;  there  is  no  one  spot 
that  will  do  more  for  you  than  other  places. 
It  doesn't  matter  so  much  where  you  are,  if 
you  have  intelligence  and  a  good  ear.  Listen 
to  yourself;  your  ear  will  tell  you  what  kind  of 
tones  you  are  making.  If  you  will  only  use 
your  own  intelligence  you  can  correct  your 
own  faults." 


Enrico  Caruso 


CEASELESS   STUDY 

This  is  no  idle  speech,  voiced  to  impress  the 
reader.  Caruso  practices  what  he  preaches, 
for  he  is  an  incessant  worker.  Two  or  three 
hours  in  the  forenoon,  and  several  more  later 
in  the  day,  whenever  possible.  He  does  not 
neglect  daily  vocal  technic,  scales  and  exercises. 
There  are  always  many  roles  to  keep  in  rehear- 
sal with  the  accompanist.  He  has  a  repertoire 
of  seventy  roles,  some  of  them  learned  in  two 
languages.  Among  the  parts  he  has  prepared 
but  has  never  sung  are:  Othello,  Fra  Diavolo, 
Eugen  Onegin,  Pique  Dame,  Falstaff  and 
Jewels  of  the  Madonna. 

Besides  the  daily  review  of  opera  roles, 
Caruso  examines  many  new  songs;  every  day 
brings  a  generous  supply.  Naturally  some  of 
these  find  their  way  into  the  waste  basket; 
some  are  preserved  for  reference,  while  the 
favored  ones  which  are  accepted  must  be  stud- 
ied for  use  in  recital. 

I  had  the  privilege,  recently,  of  spending  a 
good  part  of  one  forenoon  in  Mr.  Caruso's 
private  quarters  at  his  New  York  Hotel,  ex- 
amining a  whole  book  full  of  mementos  of  the 
Jubilee  celebration  of  March,  1919,  on  the 
occasion  when  the  great  tenor  completed 


8  Focal  Mastery 

twenty-five  years  of  activity  on  the  operatic 
stage.  Here  were  gathered  telegrams  and 
cablegrams  from  all  over  the  world.  Many 
letters  and  cards  of  greeting  and  congratula- 
tion are  preserved  in  this  portly  volume. 
Among  them  one  noticed  messages  from  Mme. 
Schumann-Heink,  the  Flonzaley  Quartet, 
Cleofonte  Campanini  and  hosts  of  others. 
Here,  too,  is  preserved  the  Jubilee  Programme 
booklet,  also  the  libretto  used  on  that  gala 
occasion.  Music  lovers  all  over  the  world  will 
echo  the  hope  that  this  wonderful  voice  may  be 
preserved  for  many  years  to  come ! 

A   LAST   WORD 

The  above  article  was  shown  to  Mr.  Caruso, 
at  his  request,  and  I  was  asked  a  few  days 
later  to  come  to  him.  There  had  been  the 
usual  rehearsal  at  the  Opera  House  that  day. 
"Ah,  those  rehearsals,"  exclaimed  the  secre- 
tary, stopping  his  typewriter  for  an  instant; 
"no  one  who  has  never  been  through  it  has  any 
idea  of  what  a  rehearsal  means."  And  he 
lifted  hands  and  eyes  expressively.  "Mr. 
Caruso  rose  at  eight,  went  to  rehearsal  at  ten 
and  did  not  finish  till  after  three.  He  is  now 
resting,  but  will  see  you  in  a  moment." 

Presently  the  great  tenor  opened  the  door 


Enrico  Caruso  9 

and  entered.  He  wore  a  lounging  coat  of 
oriental  silk,  red  bordered,  and  on  the  left  hand 
gleamed  a  wonderful  ring,  a  broad  band  of 
dull  gold,  set  with  diamonds,  rubies  and  sap- 
phires. He  shook  hands,  said  he  had  read  my 
story,  that  it  was  quite  correct  and  had  his 
entire  approval. 

"And  have  you  a  final  message  to  the  young 
singers  who  are  struggling  and  longing  to  sing 
some  day  as  wonderfully  as  you  do?" 

"Tell  them  to  study,  to  work  always, — and 
—to  sacrifice!" 

His  eyes  had  a  strange,  inscrutable  light  in 
them,  as  he  doubtless  recalled  his  own  early 
struggles,  and  life  of  constant  effort. 

And  so  take  his  message  to  heart: 

"Work,  work — and — sacrifice!" 


II 
GERALDINE  FARRAR 

THE  WILL  TO  SUCCEED  A  COMPELLING 
FORCE 

"To  measure  the  importance  of  Geraldine 
Farrar  (at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House, 
New  York)  one  has  only  to  think  of  the  void 
there  would  have  been  during  the  last  decade, 
and  more,  if  she  had  not  been  there.  Try  to 
picture  the  period  between  1906  and  1920  with- 
out Farrar — it  is  inconceivable!  Farrar, 
more  than  any  other  singer,  has  been  the 
triumphant  living  symbol  of  the  new  day  for 
the  American  artist  at  the  Metropolitan.  She 
paved  the  way.  Since  that  night,  in  1906, 
when  her  Juliette  stirred  the  staid  old  house, 
American  singers  have  been  added  year  by 
year  to  the  personnel.  Among  these  younger 
singers  there  are  those  who  will  admit  at  once 
that  it  was  the  success  of  Geraldine  Farrar 
which  gave  them  the  impetus  to  work  hard 
for  a  like  success." 

These  thoughts  have  been  voiced  by  a  recent 
10 


GERALDINE  FARKAH 


Geraldine  Farrar  11 

reviewer,  and  will  find  a  quick  response  from 
young  singers  all  over  the  country,  who  have 
been  inspired  by  the  career  of  this  representa- 
tive artist,  and  by  the  thousands  who  have  en- 
joyed her  singing  and  her  many  characteriza- 
tions. 

I  was  present  on  the  occasion  of  Miss  Far- 
rar's  debut  at  the  greatest  opera  house  of  her 
home  land.  I,  too,  was  thrilled  by  the  fresh 
young  voice  in  the  girlish  and  charming  im- 
personation of  Juliette.  It  is  a  matter  of  his- 
tory that  from  the  moment  of  her  auspicious 
return  to  America  she  has  been  constantly  be- 
fore the  public,  from  the  beginning  to  end 
of  each  operatic  season.  Other  singers  often 
come  for  part  of  the  season,  step  out  and  make 
room  for  others.  But  Miss  Farrar,  as  well 
as  Mr.  Caruso,  can  be  depended  on  to  re- 
main. 

Any  one  who  gives  the  question  a  moment's 
thought,  knows  that  such  a  career,  carried 
through  a  score  of  years,  means  constant,  un- 
remitting labor.  There  must  be  daily  work 
on  vocal  technic ;  repertoire  must  be  kept  up  to 
opera  pitch,  and  last  and  perhaps  most  impor- 
tant of  all,  new  works  must  be  sought,  studied 
and  assimilated. 

The  singer  who  can  accomplish  these  tasks 


12  Focal  Mastery 

will  have  little  or  no  time  for  society  and  the 
gay  world,  inasmuch  as  her  strength  must  be 
devoted  to  the  service  of  her  art.  She  must 
keep  healthy  hours,  he  always  ready  to  appear, 
and  never  disappoint  her  audiences.  And 
such,  according  to  Miss  Farrar's  own  words 
is  her  record  in  the  service  of  art. 

While  zealously  guarding  her  time  from  in- 
terruption from  the  merely  curious.  Miss  Far- 
rar  does  not  entrench  herself  behind  insur- 
mountable barriers,  as  many  singers  seem  to 
do,  so  that  no  honest  seeker  for  her  views  of 
study  and  achievement  can  find  her.  While 
making  a  rule  not  to  try  voices  of  the  throng 
of  young  singers  who  would  like  to  have  her 
verdict  on  their  ability  and  prospects,  Miss 
Farrar  is  very  gracious  to  those  who  really 
need  to  see  her.  Again — unlike  others — she 
will  make  an  appointment  a  couple  of  weeks 
in  advance,  and  one  can  rest  assured  she  will 
keep  that  appointment  to  the  day  and  hour, 
in  spite  of  many  pressing  calls  on  her  atten- 
tion. 

To  meet  and  talk  for  an  hour  with  an  artist 
who  has  so  often  charmed  you  from  the  other 
side  of  the  footlights,  is  a  most  interesting  ex- 
perience. In  the  present  instance  it  began 
with  my  being  taken  up  to  Miss  Farrar's  priv- 


Geraldine  Farrar  13 

ate  sanctum,  at  the  top  of  her  Xew  York  resi- 
dence. Though  this  is  her  den,  where  she 
studies  and  works,  it  is  a  spacious  parlor,  where 
all  is  light,  color,  warmth  and  above  all,  quiet. 
A  thick  crimson  carpet  hushes  the  footfall.  A 
luxurious  couch  piled  with  silken  cushions,  and 
comfortable  arm  chairs  are  all  in  the  same 
warm  tint;  over  the  grand  piano  is  thrown  a 
cover  of  red  velvet,  gold  embroidered.  Por- 
traits of  artists  and  many  costly  trifles  are  scat- 
tered here  and  there.  The  young  lady  who 
acts  as  secretary  happened  to  be  in  the  room 
and  spoke  with  enthusiasm  of  the  singer's  ab- 
sorption in  her  work,  her  delight  in  it,  her 
never  failing  energy  and  good  spirits.  "From 
the  day  I  heard  Miss  Farrar  sing  I  felt  drawn 
to  her  and  hoped  the  time  would  come  when  I 
could  serve  her  in  some  way.  I  did  not  know 
then  that  it  would  be  in  this  way.  Her  ex- 
ample is  an  inspiration  to  all  who  come  in 
touch  with  her." 

In  a  few  moments  Miss  Farrar  herself  ap- 
peared, and  the  young  girl  withdrew. 

And  was  this  Farrar  who  stood  before  me, 
in  the  flush  of  vigorous  womanhood,  and  who 
welcomed  me  so  graciously  ?  The  first  impres- 
sion was  one  of  friendliness  and  sincerity,  which 
caused  the  artist  for  the  moment  to  be  for- 


14  Focal  Mastery 

gotten   in    the   unaffected   simplicity   of    the 
woman. 

Miss  Farrar  settled  herself  comfortably 
among  the  red  silk  cushions  and  was  ready  for 
our  talk.  The  simplicity  of  manner  was  re- 
flected in  her  words.  She  did  not  imply- 
there  is  only  one  right  way,  and  I  have  found 
it.  "These  things  seem  best  for  my  voice,  and 
this  is  the  way  I  work.  But,  since  each  voice  is 
different,  they  might  not  fit  any  one  else.  I 
have  no  desire  to  lay  down  rules  for  others;  I 
can  only  speak  of  my  own  experience." 

THE   QUESTION   OF   HEALTH 

"And  you  would  first  know  how  I  keep 
strong  and  well  and  always  ready?  Perhaps 
the  answer  is,  I  keep  regular  hours  and  habits, 
and  love  my  work.  I  have  always  loved  to 
sing,  as  far  back  as  I  can  remember.  Music 
means  everything  to  me — it  is  my  life.  As  a 
child  and  young  girl,  I  was  the  despair  of  my 
playmates  because  I  would  not  join  their 
games ;  I  did  not  care  to  skate,  play  croquet  or 
tennis,  or  such  things.  I  never  wanted  to 
exercise  violently,  and,  to  me,  unnecessarily, 
because  it  interfered  with  my  singing;  took 
energy  which  I  thought  might  be  better  ap- 
plied. As  I  grew  older  I  did  not  care  to 


Geraldine  Farrar  15 

keep  late  hours  and  be  in  an  atmosphere  where 
people  smoked  and  perhaps  drank,  for  these 
things  were  bad  for  my  voice  and  I  could  not 
do  my  work  next  day.  My  time  is  always 
regularly  laid  out.  I  rise  at  half  past  seven, 
and  am  ready  to  work  at  nine.  I  do  not  care 
to  sit  up  late  at  night,  either,  for  I  think  late 
hours  react  on  the  voice.  Occasionally,  if  we 
have  a  few  guests  for  dinner,  I  ask  them,  when 
ten  thirty  arrives,  to  stay  as  long  as  they  wish 
and  enjoy  themselves,  but  I  retire. 

TECHNICAL   STUDY 

"There  are  gifted  people  who  may  be  called 
natural  born  singers.  Melba  is  one  of  these. 
Such  singers  do  not  require  much  technical 
practice,  or  if  they  need  a  little  of  it,  half  an 
hour  a  day  is  sufficient.  I  am  not  one  of  those 
who  do  not  need  to  practice.  I  give  between 
one  and  two  hours  daily  to  vocalizes,  scales 
and  tone  study.  But  I  love  it!  A  scale  is 
beautiful  to  me,  if  it  is  rightly  sung.  In  fact 
it  is  not  merely  a  succession  of  notes ;  it  repre- 
sents color.  I  always  translate  sound  into 
color.  It  is  a  fascinating  study  to  make  dif- 
ferent qualities  of  tonal  color  in  the  voice. 
Certain  roles  require  an  entirely  different 
range  of  colors  from  others.  One  night  I  must 


10  Focal  Mastery 

sing  a  part  with  thick,  heavy,  rich  tones;  the 
next  night  my  tones  must  be  thinned  out  in 
quite  another  timbre  of  the  voice,  to  fit  an  op- 
posite character." 

Asked  if  she  can  hear  herself,  Miss  Farrar 
answered : 

"No,  I  do  not  actually  hear  my  voice,  ex- 
cept in  a  general  way ;  but  we  learn  to  know  the 
sensations  produced  in  muscles  of  throat,  head, 
face,  lips  and  other  parts  of  the  anatomy,  which 
vibrate  in  a  certain  manner  to  correct  tone 
production.  We  learn  the  feeling  of  the  tone. 
Therefore  every  one,  no  matter  how  advanced, 
requires  expert  advice  as  to  the  results. 

WITH   LEHMANN 

"I  have  studied  for  a  long  time  with  Lilli 
Lehmann  in  Berlin;  in  fact  I  might  say  she  is 
almost  my  only  teacher,  though  I  did  have 
some  instruction  before  going  to  her,  both  in 
America  and  Paris.  You  see,  I  always  sang, 
even  as  a  very  little  girl.  My  mother  has  ex- 
cellent taste  and  knowledge  in  music,  and  find- 
ing I  was  in  danger  of  straining  my  voice 
through  singing  with  those  older  than  myself, 
she  placed  me  with  a  vocal  teacher  when  I  was 
twelve,  as  a  means  of  preservation. 

"ILehmann  is  a  wonderful  teacher  and  an 


Geraldine  Farrar  17 

extraordinary  woman  as  well.  What  art  is 
there — what  knowledge  and  understanding! 
What  intensity  there  is  in  everything  she  does. 
She  used  to  say :  'Remember,  these  four  walls 
which  inclose  you,  make  a  very  different  space 
to  fill  compared  to  an  opera  house;  you  must 
take  this  fact  into  consideration  and  study  ac- 
cordingly.' No  one  ever  said  a  truer  word. 
If  one  only  studies  or  sings  in  a  room  or 
studio,  one  has  no  idea  of  what  it  means  to  fill 
a  theater.  It  is  a  distinct  branch  of  one's 
work  to  gain  power  and  control  and  to  adapt 
one's  self  to  large  spaces.  One  can  only  learn 
this  by  doing  it. 

"It  is  sometimes  remarked  by  listeners  at 
the  opera,  that  we  sing  too  loud,  or  that  we 
scream.  They  surely  never  think  of  the  great 
size  of  the  stage,  of  the  distance  from  the 
proscenium  arch  to  the  footlights,  or  from  the 
arch  to  the  first  set  of  wings.  They  do  not 
consider  that  within  recent  years  the  size  of 
the  orchestra  has  been  largely  increased,  so 
that  we  are  obliged  to  sing  against  this  great 
number  of  instruments,  which  are  making 
every  possible  kind  of  a  noise  except  that  of  a 
siren.  It  is  no  wonder  that  we  must  make 
much  effort  to  be  heard:  sometimes  the  ef- 
fort may  seem  injudicious.  The  point  we 


18 


must  consider  is  to  make  the  greatest  possible 
effect  with  the  least  possible  exertion. 

"Lehmann  is  the  most  painstaking,  devoted 
teacher  a  young  singer  can  have.  It  is  proof 
of  her  excellent  method  and  her  perfect  under- 
standing of  vocal  mastery,  that  she  is  still  able 
to  sing  in  public,  if  not  with  her  old-time 
power,  yet  with  good  tone  quality.  It  shows 
what  an  artist  she  really  is.  I  always  went 
over  to  her  every  summer,  until  the  war  came. 
We  would  work  together  at  her  villa  in  Gruene- 
wald,  which  you  yourself  know.  Or  we  would 
go  for  a  holiday  down  nearer  Salzburg,  and 
would  work  there.  We  always  worked  wher- 
ever we  were. 

MEMORIZING 

"How  do  I  memorize?  I  play  the  song  or 
role  through  a  number  of  times,  concentrating 
on  both  words  and  music  at  once.  I  am  a 
pianist  anyway;  and  committing  to  memory 
is  very  easy  for  me.  I  was  trained  to  learn 
by  heart  from  the  very  start.  When  I  sang 
my  little  songs  at  six  years  old,  mother  would 
never  let  me  have  any  music  before  me :  I  must 
know  my  songs  by  heart.  And  so  I  learned 
them  quite  naturally.  To  me  singing  was  like 
talking  to  people. 


Geraldine  Farrar  19 


"You  ask  me  to  explain  the  difference  be- 
tween the  coloratura  and  the  dramatic  organ. 
I  should  say  it  is  a  difference  of  timbre.  The 
coloratura  voice  is  bright  and  brilliant  in  its 
higher  portion,  but  becomes  weaker  and  thin- 
ner as  it  descends;  whereas  the  dramatic  voice 
has  a  thicker,  richer  quality  all  through,  es- 
pecially in  its  lower  register.  The  coloratura 
voice  will  sing  upper  C,  and  it  will  sound  very 
high  indeed.  I  might  sing  the  same  tone,  but 
it  would  sound  like  A  flat,  because  the  tone 

would  be  of  such  totally  different  timbre. 

/ 

TO   THE   YOUNG   SINGER 

"If  I  have  any  message  to  the  young  singer, 
it  would  be :  Stick  to  your  work  and  study 
systematically,  whole-heartedly.  If  you  do 
not  love  your  work  enough  to  give  it  your  best 
thought,  to  make  sacrifices  for  it,  there  is  some- 
thing wrong  with  you.  Then  choose  some 
other  line  of  work,  to  which  you  can  give  un- 
divided attention  and  devotion.  For  music  re- 
quires this.  As  for  sacrifices,  they  really  do 
not  exist,  if  they  promote  the  thing  you  hon- 
estly love  most. 

"Do  not  fancy  you  can  properly  prepare 


20  Focal  Mastery 

yourself  in  a  short  time  to  undertake  a  musi- 
cal career,  for  the  path  is  a  long  and  arduous 
one.  You  must  never  stop  studying,  for 
there  is  always  so  much  to  learn.  If  I  have 
sung  a  role  a  hundred  times,  I  always  find 
places  that  can  be  improved;  indeed  I  never 
sing  a  role  twice  exactly  in  the  same  way.  So, 
from  whatever  side  you  consider  the  singer's 
work  and  career,  both  are  of  absorbing  inter- 
est. 

"Another  thing;  do  not  worry,  for  that  is 
bad  for  your  voice.  If  you  have  not  made  this 
tone  correctly,  or  sung  that  phrase  to  suit  your- 
self, pass  it  over  for  the  moment  with  a  wave 
of  the  hand  or  a  smile;  but  don't  become  dis- 
couraged. Go  right  on!  I  knew  a  beautiful 
American  in  Paris  who  possessed  a  lovely 
voice.  But  she  had  a  very  sensitive  nature, 
which  could  not  endure  hard  knocks.  She  be- 
gan to  worry  over  little  failures  and  disap- 
pointments, with  the  result  that  in  three  years 
her  voice  was  quite  gone.  We  must  not  give 
way  to  disappointments,  but  conquer  them,  and 
keep  right  along  the  path  we  have  started  on. 

MODERN    MUSIC 

"Modern  music  requires  quite  a  different 
handling  of  the  voice  and  makes  entirely  dif- 


Geraldine  Farrar  21 

ferent  demands  upon  it  than  does  the  older 
music.  The  old  Italian  operas  required  little 
or  no  action,  only  beautiful  singing.  The 
opera  houses  were  smaller  and  so  were  the 
orchestras.  The  singer  could  stand  still  in 
the  middle  of  the  stage  and  pour  out  beauti- 
ful tones,  with  few  movements  of  body  to  mar 
his  serenity.  But  we,  in  these  days,  demand 
action  as  well  as  song.  We  need  singing  ac- 
tors and  actresses.  The  music  is  declamatory; 
the  singer  must  throw  his  whole  soul  into  his 
part,  must  act  as  well  as  sing.  Things  are  all 
on  a  larger  scale.  It  is  a  far  greater  strain  on 
the  voice  to  interpret  one  of  the  modern  Italian 
operas  than  to  sing  one  of  those  quietly  beau- 
tiful works  of  the  old  school. 

"America's  growth  in  music  has  been  marvel- 
ous on  the  appreciative  and  interpretive  side. 
With  such  a  musical  awakening,  we  can  look 
forward  to  the  appearance  of  great  creative 
genius  right  here  in  this  country,  perhaps  in 
the  near  future.  Why  should  we  not  expect 
it?  We  have  not  yet  produced  a  composer 
who  can  write  enduring  operas  or  symphonies. 
MacDowell  is  our  highest  type  as  yet;  but 
others  will  come  who  will  carry  the  standard 
higher. 


22 


VOICE   LIMITATIONS 

"The  singer  must  be  willing  to  admit  limita- 
tions of  voice  and  style  and  not  attempt  parts 
which  do  not  come  within  the  compass  of  her 
attainments.  Neither  is  it  wise  to  force  the 
voice  up  or  down  when  it  seems  a  great  effort 
to  do  so.  We  can  all  think  of  singers  whose 
natural  quality  is  mezzo — let  us  say — who  try 
to  force  the  voice  up  into  a  higher  register. 
There  is  one  artist  of  great  dramatic  gifts, 
who  not  content  with  the  rich  quality  of  her 
natural  organ,  tried  to  add  several  high  notes  to 
the  upper  portion.  The  result  was  disastrous. 
Again,  some  of  our  young  singers  who  possess 
beautiful,  sweet  voices,  should  not  force  them 
to  the  utmost  limit  of  power,  simply  to  fill,  or 
try  to  fill  a  great  space.  The  life  of  the  voice 
will  be  impaired  by  such  injurious  practice, 

VOCAL   MASTERY 

"What  do  I  understand  by  vocal  mastery? 
It  is  something  very  difficult  to  define.  For  a 
thing  that  is  mastered  must  be  really  perfect. 
To  master  vocal  art,  the  singer  must  have  so 
developed  his  voice  that  it  is  under  complete 
control;  then  he  can  do  with  it  whatsoever  he 
wishes.  He  must  be  able  to  produce  all  he 
desires  of  power,  pianissimo,  accent,  shading, 


Geraldine  Farrar  23 

delicacy  and  variety  of  color.  Who  is  equal 
to  the  task?" 

Miss  Farrar  was  silent  a  moment;  then  she 
said,  answering  her  own  question: 

"I  can  think  of  but  two  people  who  hon- 
estly can  be  said  to  possess  vocal  mastery: 
they  are  Caruso  and  McCormack.  Those 
who  have  only  heard  the  latter  do  little  Irish 
tunes,  have  no  idea  of  what  he  is  capable. 
I  have  heard  him  sing  Mozart  as  no  one  else 
I  know  of  can.  These  two  artists  have, 
through  ceaseless  application,  won  vocal  mas- 
tery. It  is  something  we  are  all  striving  for!" 


Ill 


MIND  IS  EVERYTHING 

MR.  JAMES  HUXEKER,  in  one  of  his  series 
of  articles  entitled  "With  the  Immortals,"  in 
the  New  York  World,  thus,  in  his  inimitable 
way  characterizes  Victor  Maurel: 

"I  don't  suppose  there  is  to  be  found  in 
musical  annals  such  diversity  of  aptitudes  as 
that  displayed  by  this  French  baritone.  Is 
there  an  actor  on  any  stage  to-day  who  can 
portray  both  the  grossness  of  Falstaff  and  the 
subtlety  of  lago?  Making  allowance  for  the 
different  art  medium  that  the  singing  actor 
must  work  in,  and  despite  the  larger  curves  of 
operatic  pose  and  gesture,  Maurel  kept  aston- 
ishingly near  to  the  characters  he  assumed. 
He  was  Shakespearian;  his  Falstaff  was  the 
most  wonderful  I  ever  saw." 

And  then  lago:  "In  the  Maurel  concep- 
tion, Othello's  Ancient  was  not  painted  black 
in  black — the  heart  of  darkness,  but  with  many 
nuances,  many  gradations.  He  was  economi- 

24 


VICTOR   MAUKEL 


Victor  Maurel  25 

cal  of  gesture,  playing  on  the  jealous  Moor 
as  plays  a  skillfully  handled  bow  upon  a  finely 
attuned  violin.  His  was  truly  an  objective 
characterization.  His  Don  Giovanni  was 
broadly  designed.  He  was  the  aristocrat  to 
the  life,  courtly,  brave,  amorous,  intriguing, 
cruel,  superstitious  and  quick  to  take  offense. 
In  his  best  estate,  the  drinking  song  was  sheer 
virtuosity.  Suffice  to  add  that  Verdi  intrusted 
to  him  the  task  of  "originating"  two  such 
widely  sundered  roles  as  lago  and  Falstaffo. 
An  extraordinary  artist!" 

One  evening  we  were  discussing  the  merits 
of  various  famous  singers  of  the  past  and  pres- 
ent. My  friend  is  an  authority  whose  opin- 
ion I  greatly  respect.  He  is  not  only  a  singer 
himself  but  is  rapidly  becoming  a  singing  mas- 
ter of  renown. 

After  we  had  conferred  for  a  long  time,  my 
friend  summed  it  all  up  with  the  remark: 

"You  know  who,  in  my  opinion,  is  the  great- 
est, the  dean  of  them  all,  a  past  master  of  the 
art  of  song — Victor  Maurel." 

Did  I  not  know!  In  times  gone  by  had  we 
not  discussed  by  the  hour  every  phase  of  Mau- 
rel's  mastery  of  voice  and  action?  Did  we 
not  together  listen  to  that  voice  and  watch  with 
breathless  interest  his  investiture  of  Don 


26  Vocal  Mastery 

Giovanni,  in  the  golden  days  when  Lilli  Leh- 
mann  and  the  De  Reszkes  took  the  other  parts. 
Was  there  ever  a  more  elegant  courtly  Don,  a 
greater  Falstaff,  a  more  intriguing  lago? 

In  those  youthful  days,  my  friend's  greatest 
ambition  was  to  be  able  to  sing  and  act  like 
Maurel.  To  this  end  he  labored  unceasingly. 
Second  only  to  this  aim  was  another — to  know 
the  great  baritone  personally,  to  become  his 
friend,  to  discuss  the  finest  issues  of  art  with 
him,  to  consult  him  and  have  the  benefit  of 
his  experience.  The  consummation  of  this  de- 
sire has  been  delayed  for  years,  but  it  is  one 
of  the  "all  things"  which  will  surely  come  to 
him  who  waits.  Maurel  is  now  once  more  on 
American  soil,  and  doubtless  intends  remain- 
ing for  a  considerable  period.  My  friend  is 
also  established  in  the  metropolis.  The  two 
have  met,  not  only  once  but  many  times — in- 
deed they  have  become  fast  friends. 

"I  will  take  you  to  him,"  promised  friend 
Jacque, — knowing  my  desire  to  meet  the 
"grand  old  man";  "but  don't  ask  for  too  many 
of  his  opinions  about  singers,  as  he  does  not 
care  to  be  quoted." 

Late  one  afternoon  we  arrived  at  his  resi- 
dence. At  the  moment  he  was  in  his  music 
room,  where,  for  the  last  hour  he  had  been  sing- 


Victor  Maurel 


ing  F  distaff!  If  we  could  only  have  been  hid- 
den away  in  some  quiet  corner  to  listen!  He 
came  running  down  the  stairway  with  almost 
the  agility  of  a  boy,  coming  to  meet  us  with 
simple  dignity  and  courtesy.  After  the  first 
greetings  were  over  we  begged  permission  to 
examine  the  many  paintings  which  met  the  eye 
everywhere.  There  was  a  large  panel  facing 
us,  representing  a  tall  transparent  vase,  hold- 
ing a  careless  bunch  of  summer  flowers,  very 
artistically  handled.  Near  it  hung  an  out-of- 
door  sketch,  a  garden  path  leading  into  the 
green.  Other  bits  of  landscape  still-life  and 
portraits  made  up  the  collection.  They  had  all 
been  painted  by  the  same  artist — none  other 
than  Maurel  himself.  As  we  examined  the 
flower  panel,  he  came  and  stood  by  us. 

"Painting  is  a  great  art,'*  he  said;  "an  art 
which  requires  profound  study.  I  have  been  a 
close  student  of  this  art  for  many  years  and 
love  it  more  and  more." 

"M.  Maurel  aims  now  to  express  himself 
through  the  art  of  color  and  form,  as  he  has 
always  done  through  voice  and  gesture,"  re- 
marked my  friend. 

"Art  is  the  highest  means  of  expression," 
went  on  the  master,  "whether  through  music, 
painting,  sculpture,  architecture  or  the  theater. 


28  Focal  Mastery 

The  effort  to  express  myself  through  another 
art-medium,  painting,  has  long  been  a  joy 
to  me.  I  have  studied  with  no  teacher  but 
myself,  but  I  have  learned  from  all  the  great 
masters;  they  have  taught  me  everything." 

He  then  led  the  way  to  his  music  room  on  the 
floor  above.  Here  were  more  paintings,  many 
rare  pieces  of  furniture  and  his  piano.  A  fine 
portrait  of  Verdi,  with  an  affectionate  auto- 
graph, stood  on  a  table;  one  of  Ambroise 
Thomas,  likewise  inscribed,  hung  near.  "A 
serious  man,  almost  austere,"  said  Maurel,  re- 
garding the  portrait  of  Verdi  thoughtfully, 
"but  one  of  the  greatest  masters  of  all  time." 

Praying  us  to  be  seated,  he  placed  himself 
on  an  ottoman  before  us.  The  talk  easily 
drifted  into  the  subject  of  the  modern  operatic 
stage,  and  modern  operas  of  the  Italian  school, 
in  which  one  is  so  often  tempted  to  shout  rather 
than  sing.  The  hero  of  Mozart's  Don  Gio- 
vanni, who  could  sing  his  music  as  perhaps  no 
one  else  has  ever  done,  would  not  be  likely  to 
have  much  patience  with  the  modern  style  of 
explosive  vocal  utterance. 

"How  do  you  preserve  your  voice  and  your 
repertoire?"  I  questioned. 

M.  Maurel  gazed  before  him  thoughtfully. 

"It  is  entirely  through  the  mind  that  I  keep 


Fie  tor  Man?' el  29 

both.  I  know  so  exactly  how  to  produce  tone 
qualities,  that  if  I  recall  those  sensations  which 
accompany  tone  production,  I  can  induce  them 
at  will.  How  do  we  make  tones,  sing  an  aria, 
impersonate  a  role?  Is  not  all  done  with  the 
mind,  with  thought?  I  must  think  the  tone 
before  I  produce  it — before  I  sing  it;  I  must 
mentally  visualize  the  character  and  determine 
how  I  will  represent  it,  before  I  attempt  it.  I 
must  identify  myself  with  the  character  I  am 
to  portray  before  I  can  make  it  live.  Does 
riot  then  all  come  from  thinking — from 
thought  ? 

"Again:  I  can  think  out  the  character  and 
make  a  mental  picture  of  it  for  myself,  but 
how  shall  I  project  it  for  others  to  see?  I 
have  to  convince  myself  first  that  I  am  that 
character — I  must  identify  myself  with  it ;  then 
I  must  convince  those  who  hear  me  that  I  am 
really  that  character."  Maurel  rose  and 
moved  to  the  center  of  the  room. 

"I  am  to  represent  some  character — Amon- 
asro,  let  us  say.  I  must  present  the  captive 
King,  bound  with  chains  and  brought  before 
his  captors.  I  must  feel  with  him,  if  I  am 
really  going  to  represent  him.  I  must  believe 
myself  bound  and  a  prisoner;  then  I  must, 
through  pose  and  action,  through  expression  of 


30  Focal  Mastery 

face,  gesture,  voice,  everything — I  must  make 
this  character  real  to  the  audience." 

And  as  we  looked,  he  assumed  the  pose  of 
the  man  in  chains,  his  hands  seemed  tied,  his 
body  bent,  his  expression  one  in  which  anger 
and  revenge  mingled ;  in  effect,  he  was  for  the 
moment  Amonasro. 

"I  have  only  made  you  see  my  mental  con- 
cept of  Amonasro.  If  I  have  once  thoroughly 
worked  out  a  conception,  made  it  my  own,  then 
it  is  mine.  I  can  create  it  at  any  moment.  If 
I  feel  well  and  strong  I  can  sing  the  part  now 
in  the  same  way  as  I  have  always  sung  it,  be- 
cause my  thought  is  the  same  and  thought 
produces.  Whether  I  have  a  little  more  voice, 
or  less  voice,  what  does  it  matter?  I  can 
never  lose  my  conception  of  a  character,  for 
it  is  in  my  mind,  and  mind  projects  it.  So 
there  is  no  reason  to  lose  the  voice,  for  that 
also  is  in  mind  and  can  be  thought  out  at  will. 

"Suppose  I  have  an  opposite  character  to 
portray, — the  elegant  Don  Giovanni,  for  ex- 
ample"; and  drawing  himself  up  and  wrapping 
an  imaginary  cloak  about  him,  with  the  old 
well-remembered  courtly  gesture,  his  face  and 
manner  were  instantly  transformed  at  the 
thought  of  his  favorite  character.  He  turned 
and  smiled  on  us,  his  strong  features  lighted, 


Victor  Ma  u r el  31 

and  his  whole  appearance  expressed  the  em- 
bodiment of  Mozart's  hero. 

"You  see  I  must  have  lived,  so  to  say,  in 
these  characters  and  made  them  my  own,  or  I 
could  not  recall  them  at  a  moment's  notice. 
All  impersonation,  to  be  artistic,  to  be  vital, 
must  be  a  part  of  one's  self;  one  must  get  into 
the  character.  When  I  sing  lago  I  am  no 
longer  myself — I  am  another  person  alto- 
gether; self  is  quite  forgotten;  I  am  lago,  for 
the  time  being. 

"In  Paris,  at  the  Sorbonne,  I  gave  a  series 
of  lectures;  the  first  was  on  this  very  subject, 
the  identification  of  one's  self  with  the  char- 
acter to  be  portrayed.  The  large  audience  of 
about  fifteen  hundred,  contained  some  of  the 
most  famous  among  artists  and  men  of  let- 
ters"; and  Maurel,  with  hands  clasped  about 
his  knee,  gazed  before  him  into  space,  and  we 
knew  he  was  picturing  in  mental  vision,  the 
scene  at  the  Sorbonne,  which  he  had  just  re- 
called. 

After  a  moment,  he  resumed.  "The  singer, 
though  trying  to  act  out  the  character  he  as- 
sumes, must  not  forget  to  sing.  The  combina- 
tion of  fine  singing  and  fine  acting  is  rare. 
Nowadays  people  think  if  they  can  act,  that 
atones  for  inartistic  singing;  then  they  yield  to 


32  Vocal  Mastery 

the  temptation  to  shout,  to  make  harsh  tones, 
simply  for  effect."  And  the  famous  baritone 
caricatured  some  of  the  sounds  he  had  recently 
heard  at  an  operatic  performance  with  such 
gusto,  that  a  member  of  the  household  came 
running  in  from  an  adjoining  room,  thinking 
there  must  have  been  an  accident  and  the  mas- 
ter of  the  house  was  calling  for  help.  He 
hastily  assured  her  all  was  well — no  one  was 
hurt;  then  we  all  had  a  hearty  laugh  over  the 
little  incident. 

And  now  we  begged  to  be  allowed  to  visit 
the  atelier,  where  the  versatile  artist  worked 
out  his  pictures.  He  protested  that  it  was  in 
disorder,  that  he  would  not  dare  to  take  us  up, 
and  so  on.  After  a  little  he  yielded  to  per- 
suasion, saying,  however,  he  would  go  up  first 
and  arrange  the  room  a  little.  As  soon  as  he 
had  left  us  my  friend  turned  to  me : 

"What  a  remarkable  man!  So  strong  and 
vigorous,  in  spite  of  his  advanced  age.  No 
doubt  he  travels  those  stairs  twenty  times  a 
day.  He  is  as  alert  as  a  young  man ;  doubtless 
he  still  has  his  voice,  as  he  says.  And  what  a 
career  he  has  had.  You  know  he  was  a  friend 
of  Edward  the  Seventh;  they  once  lived  to- 
gether. Then  he  and  Verdi  were  close  friends ; 
he  helped  coach  singers  for  Verdi's  operas. 


Victor  Maurel  33 

He  says  it  was  a  wonderful  experience,  when 
the  composer  sat  down  at  the  piano,  put  his 
hands  on  the  keys  and  showed  the  singers  how 
he  wanted  his  music  sung! 

"Early  in  his  career  Maurel  sang  in  Verdi's 
opera,  Simon e  Boccanegra,  which  one  never 
hears  now,  but  it  has  a  fine  haritone  part,  and 
a  couple  of  very  dramatic  scenes,  especially  the 
final  scene  at  the  close.  This  is  the  death 
scene.  Maurel  had  sung  and  acted  so  won- 
derfully on  a  certain  occasion  that  all  the  sing- 
ers about  him  were  in  tears.  Verdi  was  pres- 
ent at  this  performance  and  was  deeply  moved 
by  Maurel's  singing  and  acting.  He  came 
upon  the  stage  when  all  was  over,  and  ex- 
claimed, in  a  voice  trembling  with  emotion: 
'You  have  created  the  role  just  as  I  would 
have  it;  I  shall  write  an  opera  especially  for 
you!'  This  he  did;  it  was  Othello,  and  the 
lago  was  composed  for  Maurel.  In  his  later 
years,  when  he  seldom  left  his  home,  the  aged 
composer  several  times  expressed  the  wish  that 
he  might  go  to  Paris,  just  to  hear  Maurel 
sing  once  more. 

"It  is  very  interesting  that  he  was  led  to 
speak  to  us  as  he  did  just  now,  about  mental 
control,  and  the  part  played  by  mind  in  the 
singer's  study,  equipment  and  career.  It  is 


a  side  of  the  question  which  every  young  singer 
must  seriously  consider,  first,  last  and  always. 
But  here  he  comes." 

Again  protesting  about  the  appearance  of 
his  simple  studio,  the  master  led  the  way  up 
the  stairways  till  we  reached  the  top  of  the 
house,  where  a  north-lighted  room  had  been 
turned  into  a  painter's  atelier.  With  mingled 
feelings  we  stepped  within  this  modest  den  of 
a  great  artist,  which  held  his  treasures. 
These  were  never  shown  to  the  casual  observer, 
nor  to  the  merely  curious;  they  were  reserved 
for  the  trusted  few. 

The  walls  were  lined  with  sketches;  heads, 
still  life,  landscapes,  all  subjects  alike  inter- 
ested the  painter.  A  rugged  bust  of  Verdi, 
over  life  size,  modeled  in  plaster,  stood  in  one 
corner.  On  an  easel  rested  a  spirited  portrait 
of  Maurel,  done  by  himself. 

"My  friends  tell  me  I  should  have  a  larger 
studio,  with  better  light;  but  I  am  content 
with  this,  for  here  is  quiet  and  here  I  can  be 
alone,  free  to  commune  with  myself.  Here  I 
can  study  my  art  undisturbed, — for  Art  is  my 
religion.  If  people  ask  if  I  go  to  church,  I 
say  No,  but  I  worship  the  immortality  which 
is  within,  which  I  feel  in  my  soul,  the  reflec- 
tion of  the  Almighty!" 


Victor  Maurcl  35 

In  quiet  mood  a  little  later  we  descended 
the  white  stairway  and  passed  along  the  cor- 
ridors of  this  house,  which  looks  so  foreign  to 
American  eyes,  and  has  the  atmosphere  of  a 
Paris  home. 

The  artist  accompanied  us  to  the  street  door 
and  bade  us  farewell,  in  his  kindly  dignified 
manner. 

As  the  door  closed  and  we  were  in  the  street, 
my  friend  said: 

"A  wonderful  man  and  a  rare  artist. 
Where  shall  we  find  his  like  to-day?" 


IV 

A  VISIT  TO  MME.  L1LLI  LEHMANN 

A  NUMBER  of  years  before  the  great  war, 
a  part}r  of  us  were  spending  a  few  weeks  in 
Berlin.  It  was  midsummer ;  the  city,  filled  as 
it  was  for  one  of  us  at  least,  with  dear  memor- 
ies of  student  days,  was  in  most  alluring  mood. 
Flowers  bloomed  along  every  balcony,  vines 
festooned  themselves  from  windows  and  door- 
ways, as  well  as  from  many  unexpected  corn- 
ers. The  parks,  large  and  small,  which  are 
the  delight  of  a  great  city,  were  at  their  best 
and  greenest — gay  with  color.  Many  profi- 
table hours  were  spent  wandering  through  the 
galleries  and  museums,  hearing  concerts  and 
opera,  and  visiting  the  old  quarters  of  the  city, 
so  picturesque  and  full  of  memories. 

Two  of  us,  who  were  musicians,  were  anxious 
to  meet  the  famous  dramatic  soprano,  Lilli 
Lehmann,  who  was  living  quietly  in  one  of  the 
suburbs  of  the  city.  Notes  were  exchanged, 
and  on  a  certain  day  we  were  bidden  to  come, 
out  of  the  regular  hours  for  visitors,  by  "spe- 
cial exception." 

36 


A   Visit  to  Mme.  LUli  Lehmann     37 

How  well  I  remember  the  drive  through  the 
newer  residential  section  of  Berlin.  The  path 
before  long  led  us  through  country  estates, 
past  beautifully  kept  gardens  and  orchards. 
Our  destination  was  the  little  suburb  of 
Gruenewald,  itself  like  a  big  garden,  with  villas 
nestling  close  to  each  other,  usually  set  back 
from  the  quiet,  shaded  streets.  Some  of  the 
villas  had  iron  gratings  along  the  pathway, 
through  which  one  saw  gay  flowers  and  garden 
walks,  often  statuary  and  fountains.  Other 
homes  were  secluded  from  the  street  by  high 
brick  walls,  frequently  decorated  on  top  by 
urns  holding  flowers  and  drooping  vines. 

Behind  such  a  picturesque  barrier,  we  found 
the  gateway  which  led  to  Mme.  Lehmann's  cot- 
tage. We  rang  and  soon  a  trim  maid  came  to 
undo  the  iron  gate.  The  few  steps  leading  to 
the  house  door  did  not  face  us  as  we  entered 
the  inclosure,  but  led  up  from  the  side.  We 
wanted  to  linger  and  admire  the  shrubs  and 
flowering  plants,  but  the  maid  hastened  before 
us  so  we  had  to  follow. 

From  the  wide  entrance  hall  doors  led  into 
rooms  on  either  hand.  We  were  shown  into  a 
salon  on  the  left,  and  bidden  to  await  Ma- 
dame's  coming. 

In  the  few  moments  of  restful  quiet  before 


38  Focal  Mastery 

she  entered,  we  had  time  to  glance  over  this 
sanctum  of  a  great  artist.  To  say  it  was  filled 
with  mementos  and  objets  d'art  hardly  ex- 
presses the  sense  of  repleteness.  Every 
square  foot  was  occupied  by  some  treasure. 
Let  the  eye  travel  around  the  room.  At  the 
left,  as  one  entered  the  doorway,  stood  a  fine 
bust  of  the  artist,  chiseled  in  pure  white  marble, 
supported  on  a  pedestal  of  black  marble. 
Then  came  three  long,  French  windows,  open- 
ing into  a  green  garden.  Across  the  farther 
window  stood  a  grand  piano,  loaded  with 
music.  At  the  further  end  of  the  room,  if 
memory  serves,  hung  a  large,  full  length  por- 
trait of  the  artist  herself.  A  writing  desk, 
laden  with  souvenirs,  stood  near.  On  the  op- 
posite side  a  divan  covered  with  rich  brocade; 
more  paintings  on  the  walls,  one  very  large 
landscape  by  a  celebrated  German  painter. 

Before  we  could  note  further  details,  Mme. 
Lehmann  stood  in  the  doorway,  then  came  for- 
ward and  greeted  us  cordially. 

How  often  I  had  seen  her  impersonate  her 
great  roles,  both  in  Germany  and  America. 
They  were  always  of  some  queenly  character. 
Could  it  be  possible  this  was  the  famous  Leh- 
mann, this  simple  housewife,  in  black  skirt  and 
white  blouse,  with  a  little  apron  as  badge  of 


A   Visit  to  Mme.  Lilli  Lehmann     39 

home  keeping.  But  there  was  the  stately  tread, 
the  grand  manner,  the  graceful  movement. 
What  mattered  if  the  silver  hair  were  drawn 
back  severely  from  the  face;  there  was  the  dig- 
nity of  expression,  classic  features,  penetrating 
glance  and  mobile  mouth  I  remembered. 

After  chatting  a  short  time  and  asking  many 
questions  about  America,  where  her  experi- 
ences had  been  so  pleasant,  our  talk  was  inter- 
rupted, for  a  little,  by  a  voice  trial,  which  Ma- 
dame had  agreed  to  give.  Many  young  sing- 
ers, from  everywhere,  were  anxious  to  have 
expert  judgment  on  their  progress  or  attain- 
ments, so  Lehmann  was  often  appealed  to  and 
gave  frequent  auditions  of  this  kind.  The  fee 
was  considerable,  but  she  never  kept  a  penny 
of  it  for  herself;  it  all  went  to  one  of  her  fa- 
vorite charities.  The  young  girl  who  on  this 
day  presented  herself  for  the  ordeal  was  an 
American,  who,  it  seemed,  had  not  carried  her 
studies  very  far. 

EXAMINING   A   PUPIL 

Mme.  Lehmann  seated  herself  at  the  piano 
and  asked  for  scales  and  vocalizes.  The  young 
girl,  either  from  fright  or  poor  training,  did 
not  make  a  very  fortunate  impression.  She 
could  not  seem  to  bring  out  a  single  pure 


40  Focal  Mastery 

steady  tone,  much  less  sing  scales  acceptably. 

Madame  with  a  resigned  look  finally  asked 
for  a  song,  which  was  given.  It  was  a  little 
song  of  Franz,  I  remember.  Then  Lehmann 
wheeled  around  on  the  stool  and  said  to  us,  in 
German : 

"The  girl  cannot  sing — she  has  little  or  no 
voice  to  begin  with,  and  has  not  been  rightly 
trained."  Then  to  the  young  girl  she  said, 
kindly,  in  English: 

"My  dear  young  lady,  you  have  almost 
everything  to  learn  about  singing,  for  as  yet 
you  cannot  even  sing  one  tone  correctly;  you 
cannot  even  speak  correctly.  First  of  all  you 
need  physical  development ;  you  must  broaden 
your  chest  through  breathing  exercises ;  you  are 
too  thin  chested.  You  must  become  physically 
stronger  if  you  ever  hope  to  sing  acceptably. 
Then  you  must  study  diction  and  languages. 
This  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  singer. 
Above  all  you  must  know  how  to  pronounce 
and  sing  in  your  own  language.  So  many  do 
not  think  it  necessary  to  study  their  own  lan- 
guage ;  they  think  they  know  that  already ;  but 
one's  mother  tongue  requires  study  as  well  as 
any  other  language. 

"The  trouble  with  American  girls  is  they  are 
always  in  a  hurry.  They  are  not  content  to  sit 


A   Visit  to  Mine.  Lilli  Lehmann     41 

down  quietly  and  study  till  they  have  devel- 
oped themselves  into  something  before  they 
ever  think  of  coming  to  Europe.  They  think 
if  they  can  just  come  over  here  and  sing  for  an 
artist,  that  fact  alone  will  give  them  prestige  in 
America.  But  that  gives  them  quite  the  oppo- 
site reputation  over  here.  American  girls  are 
too  often  looked  upon  as  superficial,  because 
they  come  over  here  quite  unprepared.  I  say 
to  all  of  them,  as  I  say  to  you :  Go  home  and 
study;  there  are  plenty  of. good  teachers  of 
voice  and  piano  in  your  own  land.  Then, 
when  you  can  sing,  come  over  here,  if  you  wish ; 
but  do  not  come  until  you  are  prepared." 

After  this  little  episode,  we  continued  our 
talk  for  a  while  longer.  Then,  fearing  to  tres- 
pass on  her  time,  we  rose  to  leave.  She  came 
to  the  door  with  us,  followed  us  down  the  steps 
into  the  front  garden,  and  held  the  gate  open 
for  us,  when  we  finally  left.  We  had  already 
expressed  the  hope  that  she  might  be  able  to 
return  to  America,  at  no  very  distant  day,  and 
repeat  her  former  triumphs  there.  Her  fine 
face  lighted  at  the  thought,  and  her  last  words 
to  us  were,  as  she  held  open  the  little  iron 
wicket.  "I  have  a  great  desire  to  go  to  your 
country  again ;  perhaps,  in  a  year  or  two — who 
knows — I  may  be  able  to  do  it." 


42  Focal  Mastery 

She  stood  there,  a  noble,  commanding  figure, 
framed  in  the  green  of  her  garden,  and  waved 
her  handkerchief,  till  our  cab  turned  a  corner, 
and  she  was  lost  to  our  view. 

THE    MOZART   FESTIVAL 

Several  years  later,  a  year  before  the  world 
war  started,  to  be  exact,  we  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  the  artist  again,  and  this  time,  of  hear- 
ing her  sing. 

It  was  the  occasion  of  the  Mozart  Festival 
in  Salzburg.  It  is  well  known  that  Lehmann, 
devoted  as  she  has  always  been  to  the  genius  of 
Mozart,  and  one  of  the  greatest  interpreters  of 
his  music,  had  thrown  her  whole  energy  into 
the  founding  of  a  suitable  memorial  to  the  mas- 
ter in  his  native  city.  This  memorial  was  to 
consist  of  a  large  music  school,  a  concert  hall 
and  home  for  opera.  The  Mozarteum  was  not 
yet  completed,  but  a  Festival  was  held  each 
year  in  Salzburg,  to  aid  the  project.  Madame 
Lehmann  was  always  present  and  sang  on 
these  occasions. 

We  timed  our  visit  to  Mozart's  birthplace,  so 
that  we  should  be  able  to  attend  the  Festival, 
which  lasted  as  usual  five  days.  The  concerts 
were  held  in  the  Aula  Academica,  a  fine  Saal  in 
the  old  picturesque  quarter  of  the  city. 


A   Visit  to  Mme.  Lilli  Lehmann     43 

At  the  opening  concert,  Lehmann  sang  a 
long,  difficult  Concert  Aria  of  Mozart.  We 
could  not  help  wondering,  before  she  began, 
how  time  had  treated  this  great  organ ;  whether 
we  should  be  able  to  recognize  the  famous  Leh- 
mann who  had  formerly  taken  such  high  rank 
as  singer  and  interpreter  in  America.  We 
need  not  have  feared  that  the  voice  had  become 
impaired.  Or,  if  it  had  been,  it  had  become 
rejuvenated  on  this  occasion.  Mme.  Lehmann 
sang  with  all  her  well-remembered  power  and 
fervor,  all  her  exaltation  of  spirit,  and  of 
course  she  had  a  great  ovation  at  the  close. 
She  looked  like  a  queen  in  ivory  satin  and  rare 
old  lace,  with  jewels  on  neck,  arms  and  in  her 
silver  hair.  In  the  auditorium,  three  arm 
chairs  had  been  placed  in  front  of  the  platform. 
The  Arch-duke,  Prince  Eugen,  the  royal  pa- 
tron of  the  Festival,  occupied  one.  When 
Madame  Lehmann  had  finished  her  Aria,  she 
stepped  down  from  the  platform.  The  Prince 
rose  at  once  and  went  to  meet  her.  She  gave 
him  her  hand  with  a  graceful  curtesy  and  he  led 
her  to  the  armchair  next  his  own,  which  had 
evidently  been  placed  in  position  for  her  special 
use. 

At  the  close  of  the  concert  we  had  a  brief 
chat  with  her.  The  next  day  she  was  present 


44  Focal  Master}/ 

at  the  morning  concert.  This  time  she  was 
gowned  in  black,  with  an  ermine  cape  thrown 
over  her  shoulders.  The  Archduke  sat  beside 
her  in  the  arm  chair,  as  he  had  done  the  evening 
before.  We  had  a  bow  and  smile  as  she  passed 
down  the  aisle. 

We  trust  the  Mozarteum  in  Salzburg,  for 
which  Mme.  Lehmann  has  labored  with  such 
devotion,  will  one  day  fulfill  its  noble  mission. 

LEHMANN   THE   TEACHER 

As  a  teacher  of  the  art  of  singing  Madame 
Lehmann  has  long  been  a  recognized  author- 
ity, and  many  artists  now  actively  before  the 
public,  have  come  from  under  her  capable 
hands.  Her  book,  "How  to  Sing," — rendered 
in  English  by  Richard  Aldrich — (Macmillan) 
has  illumined  the  path  for  many  a  serious  stu- 
dent who  seeks  light  on  that  strange,  wonder- 
ful, hidden  instrument — the  voice.  Madame 
Lehmann,  by  means  of  many  explanations  and 
numerous  plates,  endeavors  to  make  clear  to 
the  young  student  how  to  begin  and  how  to 
proceed  in  her  vocal  studies. 

BREATHING 

On  the  important  subject  of  breathing  she 
savs : 


A   Visit  to  Mme.  Lilli  Lehmann     45 

"No  one  can  sing  without  preparing  for  it 
mentally  and  physically.  It  is  not  enough  to 
sing  well,  one  must  know  how  one  does  it.  I 
practice  many  breathing  exercises  without 
using  tone.  Breath  becomes  voice  through 
effort  of  will  and  by  use  of  vocal  organs. 
When  singing  emit  the  smallest  quantity  of 
breath.  Vocal  chords  are  breath  regulators; 
relieve  them  of  all  overwork. 

"At  the  start  a  young  voice  should  be  taught 
to  begin  in  the  middle  and  work  both  ways — 
that  is,  up  and  down.  A  tone  should  never 
be  forced.  Begin  piano,  make  a  long  cre- 
scendo and  return  to  piano.  Another  exercise 
employs  two  connecting  half  tones,  using  one 
or  two  vowels.  During  practice  stand  before 
a  mirror,  that  one  may  see  what  one  is  doing. 
Practice  about  one  hour  dailv.  Better  that 

v 

amount  each  day  than  ten  hours  one  day  and 
none  the  next.  The  test  will  be;  do  you  feel 
rested  and  ready  for  work  each  morning?  If 
not  you  have  done  too  much  the  day  before." 

EEGISTERS 

In  regard  to  registers  Madame  Lehmann 
has  this  to  say:  "In  the  formation  of  the 
voice  no  registers  should  exist  or  be  created. 


46  Vocal  Mastery 

As  long  as  the  word  is  kept  in  use,  registers 
will  not  disappear." 

PHYSIOLOGY 

In  spite  of  the  fact  there  are  many  drawings 
and  plates  illustrating  the  various  organs  of 
head  and  throat  which  are  used  in  singing,  Ma- 
dame Lehmann  says : 

"The  singer  is  often  worried  about  questions 
of  physiology,  whereas  she  need — must — know 
little  about  it. 

THE   NASAL   QUALITY 

"The  singer  must  have  some  nasal  quality, 
otherwise  the  voice  sounds  colorless  and  expres- 
sionless. We  must  sing  toward  the  nose :  (not 
necessarily  through  the  nose ) . 

"For  many  ills  of  the  voice  and  tone  produc- 
tion, I  use  long,  slow  scales.  They  are  an 
infallible  cure. 

USE  OF  THE  LIPS 

"The  lips  play  a  large  part  in  producing 
variety  of  tone  quality.  Each  vowel,  every 
word  can  be  colored,  as  by  magic,  by  well  con- 
trolled play  of  the  lips.  When  lips  are  stiff 
and  unresponsive,  the  singing  is  colorless. 


A   Visit  to  Mme.  Lilli  Lehmann     47 

Lips  are  final  resonators,  through  which  tones 
must  pass,  and  lip  movements  can  be  varied  in 
every  conceivable  manner." 

POWER   AND   VELOCITY 

She  humorously  writes:  "Singers  without 
power  and  velocity  are  like  horses  without 
tails.  For  velocity,  practice  figures  of  five, 
six,  seven  and  eight  notes,  first  slowly,  then 
faster  and  faster,  up  and  down." 


V 
AMELITA  GALLI-CURCI 

SELF-TEACHING  THE  GREAT  ESSENTIAL 

]\To  singer  can  rise  to  any  distinction  with- 
out the  severest  kind  of  self-discipline  and  hard 
work.  This  is  the  testimony  of  all  the  great 
vocalists  of  our  time — of  any  time.  This  is  the 
message  they  send  back  from  the  mountain  top 
of  victory  to  the  younger  ones  who  are  striving 
to  acquire  the  mastery  they  have  achieved. 
Work,  work  and  again — work!  And  if  you 
have  gained  even  a  slight  foothold  on  the  hill 
of  fame,  then  work  to  keep  your  place.  Above 
all,  be  not  satisfied  with  your  present  prog- 
ress,— strive  for  more  perfection.  There  are 
heights  you  have  not  gained — higher  up! 
There  are  joys  for  you — higher  up,  if  you  will 
but  labor  to  reach  them. 

Perhaps  there  is  no  singer  who  more  thor- 
oughly believes  in  the  gospel  of  work,  and 
surely  not  one  who  more  consistently  practices 
what  she  preaches,  than  Amelita  Galli-Curci. 
She  knows  the  value  of  work,  and  she  loves 

48 


Photo  by  DC  M /•</<(•/,•/,   \.   Y. 

AMHI.ITA    GAi.i.i-CuRCi 


Amelita  Galli-Curci  49 

it  for  its  own  sake.  There  is  no  long  cessation 
for  her,  during  summer  months,  "to  rest  her 
voice."  There  is  no  half-day  seclusion  after 
a  performance,  to  recover  from  the  fatigue  of 
singing  a  role  the  night  before.  No,  for  her 
this  event  does  not  spell  exhaustion  but  happi- 
ness, exhilaration.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  sing  be- 
cause it  is  not  wearisome — it  is  a  part  of  her- 
self. And  she  enjoys  the  doing!  Thus  it 
happens  that  the  morning  after  a  performance, 
she  is  up  and  abroad  betimes,  ready  to  attend 
personally  to  the  many  calls  upon  her  time  and 
attention.  She  can  use  her  speaking  voice 
without  fear,  because  she  has  never  done  any- 
thing to  strain  it;  she  is  usually  strong  and 
well,  buoyant  and  bright.  Those  soft,  dark 
eyes  are  wells  of  intelligent  thinking;  the 
mouth  smiles  engagingly  as  she  speaks;  the 
slight  figure  is  full  of  life  and  energy.  Yet 
there  is  a  deep  sense  of  calm  in  her  presence. 
A  brave,  bright  spirit;  a  great,  wonderful 
artist ! 

These  thoughts  faintly  glimpse  my  first  im- 
pression of  Mme.  Galli-Curci,  as  she  entered 
her  big,  sunny  parlor,  where  I  was  waiting  to 
see  her.  Her  delicate,  oval  face  was  aglow 
with  the  flush  of  healthful  exercise,  for  she  had 
just  come  in  from  a  shopping  expedition  and 


50 


the  wintry  air  was  keen.  "I  love  to  go  shop- 
ping," she  explained,  "so  I  always  do  it  my- 
self." 

She  bade  me  sit  beside  her  on  a  comfortable 
divan,  and  at  once  began  to  speak  of  the  things 
I  most  wished  to  hear. 

"I  am  often  asked,"  she  began,  "to  describe 
how  I  create  this  or  that  effect,  how  I  produce 
such  and  such  tones,  how  I  make  the  voice  float 
to  the  farthest  corner,  and  so  on.  I  answer, 
that  is  my  secret.  In  reality  it  is  no  secret  at 
all,  at  least  not  to  any  one  who  has  solved  the 
problem.  Any  one  possessing  a  voice  and  in- 
telligence, can  acquire  these  things,  who  knows 
how  to  go  to  work  to  get  them.  But  if  one  has 
no  notion  of  the  process,  no  amount  of  mere 
talking  will  make  it  plain.  Singing  an  opera 
role  seems  such  an  easy  thing  from  the  other 
side  of  the  footlights.  People  seem  to  think,  if 
you  only  know  how  to  sing,  it  is  perfectly  natu- 
ral and  easy  for  you  to  impersonate  a  great 
lyric  role.  And  the  more  mastery  you  have, 
the  easier  they  think  it  is  to  do  it.  The  real 
truth  of  the  matter  is  that  it  requires  years  and 
years  of  study — constant  study,  to  learn  how 
to  sing,  before  attempting  a  big  part  in  opera. 

"There  are  so  many  organs  of  the  body  that 
are  concerned  in  the  process  of  breathing  and 


Amelita  Galli-Curci  51 

tone  production;  and  most  of  these  organs 
must  be,  if  not  always,  yet  much  of  the  time, 
relaxed  and  in  an  easy  pliable  condition  when 
you  sing.  There  is  the  diaphragm — then  the 
throat,  larynx,  the  lungs,  nose,  lips — all  of 
them  help  to  make  the  tone.  Perhaps  I  might 
say  the  larynx  is  the  most  important  factor  of 
all.  If  you  can  manage  that,  you  have  the 
secret.  But  no  human  being  can  tell  you  ex- 
actly how  to  do  it.  Some  singers  before  the 
public  to-day  have  no  notion  of  how  to  manage 
this  portion  of  their  anatomy.  Others  may  do 
so  occasionally,  but  it  may  only  be  by  accident. 
They  sometimes  stumble  upon  the  principle, 
but  not  understanding  how  they  did  so,  they 
cannot  reproduce  the  desired  effects  at  will. 
The  singer  who  understands  her  business  must 
know  just  how  she  produces  tones  and  vocal 
effects.  She  can  then  do  them  at  all  times, 
under  adverse  circumstances,  even  when  nerv- 
ous, or  not  in  the  mood,  or  indisposed. 

SELF-STUDY 

"How  did  I  learn  to  know  these  things?  By 
constant  study,  by  constant  listening — for  I 
have  very  keen  ears — by  learning  the  sensa- 
tions produced  in  throat  and  larynx  when  I 
made  tones  that  were  correctly  placed,  were 


52  Vocal  Mastery 

pleasing  and  at  the  same  time  made  the  effects 
I  was  seeking. 

"Milan  is  my  home  city — beautiful  Milano 
under  the  blue  Italian  skies,  the  bluest  in  the 
world.  As  a  young  girl,  the  daughter  of  well- 
to-do  parents,  I  studied  piano  at  the  Royal 
Conservatory  there,  and  also  musical  theory 
and  counterpoint.  I  shall  ever  be  grateful  I 
started  in  this  wa}%  with  a  thorougli  musical 
foundation,  for  it  has  always  been  of  great  ad- 
vantage to  me  in  further  study.  When  my  fa- 
ther met  with  reverses,  I  made  good  use  of  my 
pianistic  training  by  giving  piano  lessons  and 
making  a  very  fair  income  for  a  young  girl. 

"But  I  longed  to  sing!  Is  it  not  the  birth- 
right of  every  Italian  to  have  a  voice  ?  I  began 
to  realize  I  had  a  voice  whicli  might  be  culti- 
vated. I  had  always  sung  a  little — every  one 
does;  song  is  the  natural,  spontaneous  expres- 
sion of  our  people.  But  I  wished  to  do  more— 
to  express  myself  in  song.  So  I  began  to 
teach  myself  by  singing  scales  and  vocalizes  be- 
tween my  piano  lessons.  Meanwhile  I  studied 
all  the  books  on  singing  I  could  lay  hands  on, 
and  then  tried  to  put  the  principles  I  learned  in 
this  way  in  practice.  In  trying  to  do  this  I  had 
to  find  out  everything  for  myself.  And  that  is 
why  I  know  them!  I  know  exactly  what  I  am 


Amelita  Galli-Curci  53 

about  when  I  sing.  I  know  what  muscles  are 
being  used,  and  in  what  condition  they  ought  to 
be;  what  parts  of  the  anatomy  are  called  into 
action  and  why.  Nature  has  given  me  two 
great  gifts,  a  voice  and  good  health;  for  both 
these  gifts  I  am  deeply  grateful.  The  first  I 
have  developed  through  arduous  toil;  the  sec- 
ond I  endeavor  to  preserve  through  careful 
living,  regular  hours  and  plenty  of  exercise  in 
the  fresh  air.  I  have  developed  the  voice  and 
trained  it  in  the  way  that  seemed  to  me  best 
for  it.  There  are  as  many  kinds  of  voices  as 
there  are  persons;  it  seems  to  me  each  voice 
should  be  treated  in  the  way  best  suited  to  its 
possessor.  How  can  any  other  person  tell  you 
how  that  should  be  done?"  And  the  singer 
gave  me  a  bright  look,  and  made  a  pretty 
deprecating  gesture.  "You  yourself  must 
have  the  intelligence  to  understand  your  own 
case  and  learn  how  to  treat  it. 

NEVER   STRAIN   THE   VOICE 

"A  singer  who  would  keep  her  voice  in  the 
best  condition,  should  constantly  and  reason- 
ably exercise  it.  I  always  do  a  half  hour  or  so 
of  exercises,  vocalizes  and  scales  every  morn- 
ing; these  are  never  neglected.  But  I  never 
do  anything  to  strain  the  voice  in  any  way. 


We  are  told  many  fallacies  by  vocal  teachers. 
One  is  that  the  diaphragm  must  be  held  firmly 
in  order  to  give  support  to  the  tone.  It  seems 
to  me  this  is  a  serious  mistake.  I  keep  the 
diaphragm  relaxed.  Thus  tone  production,  in 
my  case,  is  made  at  all  times  with  ease;  there 
is  never  any  strain.  You  ask  if  it  is  not  very 
fatiguing  to  sing  against  a  large  orchestra,  as 
we  have  to,  and  with  a  temperamental  conduc- 
tor, like  Marinuzzi,  for  instance.  I  do  not  find 
it  so;  there  is  a  pure,  clear  tone,  which  by  its 
quality,  placement  and  ease  of  production,  will 
carry  farther  than  mere  power  ever  can.  It 
can  be  heard  above  a  great  orchestra,  and  it 
gets  over. 

USE   OF  THE   VOWELS 

"Young  singers  ask  me  what  vowels  to  use 
in  vocal  practice.  In  my  own  study  I  use 
them  all.  Of  course  some  are  more  valuable 
than  others.  The  O  is  good,  the  E  needs  great 
care ;  the  Ah  is  the  most  difficult  of  all.  I  am 
aware  this  is  contrary  to  the  general  idea. 
But  I  maintain  that  the  Ah  is  most  difficult; 
for  if  you  overdo  it  and  the  lips  are  too  wide 
apart,  the  result  is  a  white  tone.  And  on  the 
other  hand,  if  the  lips  are  nearer — or  too  near 
together,  or  are  not  managed  rightly,  stiffness 


Amelita  Galli-Curci  55 

or  a  throaty  quality  is  apt  to  result;  then  the 
tone  cannot  'float.'  I  have  found  the  best  way 
is  to  use  the  mixed  vowels,  one  melting  into  the 
other.  The  tone  can  be  started  with  each 
vowel  in  turn,  and  then  mingled  with  the  rest 
of  the  vowels.  Do  you  know,  the  feathered 
songster  I  love  best — the  nightingale — uses  the 
mixed  vowels  too.  Ah,  how  much  I  have 
learned  from  him  and  from  other  birds  also! 
Some  of  them  have  harsh  tones — real  quacks 
— because  they  open  their  bills  too  far,  or  in 
a  special  way.  But  the  nightingale  has  such  a 
lovely  dark  tone,  a  'covered  tone,'  wThich  goes 
to  the  heart.  It  has  the  most  exquisite  quality 
in  the  world.  I  have  learned  much  from  the 
birds,  about  what  not  to  do  and  what  to  do. 

MEMORIZING 

"In  taking  up  a  new  role  I  begin  with  the 
story,  the  libretto,  so  I  may  first  learn  what  it 
is  about,  its  meaning  and  psychology.  I  take 
it  to  bed  with  me,  or  have  it  by  me  if  lying 
down,  because  I  understand  musical  composi- 
tion and  can  get  a  clear  idea  of  the  composer's 
meaning  without  going  to  the  instrument. 
After  a  short  time  I  begin  to  work  it  out  at 
the  piano,  in  detail,  words  and  music  together. 
For  a  great  role  like  the  Somnambula  or 


.56 


Traviata,  I  must  spend  three  or  four  years, 
perhaps  more,  in  preparation,  before  bringing 
it  to  public  performance.  It  takes  a  long 
time  to  master  thoroughly  an  operatic  role, 
to  work  it  out  from  all  sides,  the  singing,  the 
acting,  the  characterization.  To  the  lay  mind, 
if  you  can  sing,  you  can  easily  act  a  part  and 
also  memorize  it.  They  little  know  the  labor 
which  must  be  bestowed  on  that  same  role  be- 
fore it  can  be  presented  in  such  a  shape  as  to 
be  adequate,  in  a  way  that  will  get  it  across.  It 
does  not  go  in  a  few  weeks  or  even  months; 
it  is  the  work  of  years.  And  even  then  it  is 
never  really  finished,  for  it  can  always  be  im- 
proved with  more  study,  with  more  care  and 
thought. 

THE  NECESSITY   FOR  LANGUAGES 

"We  hear  much  about  need  for  study  of 
languages  by  the  singer,  and  indeed  too  much 
stress  cannot  be  placed  on  this  branch  of  the 
work.  I  realize  that  in  America  it  is  perhaps 
more  difficult  to  impress  people  with  this  neces- 
sity, as  they  have  not  the  same  need  to  use 
other  languages  in  every  day  life.  The  singer 
can  always  be  considered  fortunate  who  has 
been  brought  up  from  earliest  years  to  more 
than  one  language.  My  mother  was  Spanish, 


Amelita  Galli-Curci  57 

my  father  Italian,  so  this  gave  me  both  lan- 
guages at  home.  Then  in  school  I  learned 
French,  German  and  English,  not  only  a  little 
smattering  of  each,  but  how  to  write  and  speak 
them." 

"You  certainly  have  mastered  English  re- 
markably well,"  I  could  not  help  remarking, 
for  she  was  speaking  with  great  fluency,  and 
with  hardly  any  accent.  This  seemed  to  please 
her,  for  she  gave  me  one  of  those  flashing 
smiles. 

COLORATURA   AND   DRAMATIC 

"Would  you  be  pleased,"  I  asked,  "if  later 
on  your  voice  should  develop  into  a  dramatic 
soprano?" 

Mme.  Galli-Curci  thought  an  instant. 

"No,"  she  said,  "I  think  I  would  rather  keep 
the  voice  I  have.  I  heartily  admire  the 
dramatic  voice  and  the  roles  it  can  sing. 
Raisa's  voice  is  for  me  the  most  beautiful  I 
know.  But  after  all  I  think,  for  myself,  I 
prefer  the  lyric  and  coloratura  parts,  they  are 
so  beautiful.  The  old  Italian  composers  knew 
well  how  to  write  for  the  voice.  Their  music 
has  beauty,  it  has  melody,  and  melodic  beauty 
will  always  make  its  appeal.  And  the  older 
Italian  music  is  built  up  not  only  of  melody  and 


58  Focal  Mastery 

fioriture,  but  is  also  dramatic.  For  these 
qualities  can  combine,  and  do  so  in  the  last  act 
of  Traviata,  which  is  so  full  of  deep  feeling 
and  pathos. 

BREATH   CONTROL 

"Perhaps,  in  Vocal  Mastery,  the  greatest 
factor  of  all  is  the  breathing.  To  control  the 
breath  is  what  each  student  is  striving  to  learn, 
what  every  singer  endeavors  to  perfect,  what 
every  artist  should  master.  It  is  an  almost 
endless  study  and  an  individual  one,  because 
each  organism  and  mentality  is  different. 
Here,  as  in  everything  else,  perfect  ease  and 
naturalness  are  to  be  maintained,  if  the  divine 
song  which  is  the  singer's  concept  of  beauty,  is 
to  be  'floated  on  the  breath,'  and  its  merest 
whisper  heard  to  the  farthest  corner  of  the 
gallery. 

THE   MATTER*  IN   A   NUTSHELL 

"To  sum  up  then,  the  three  requirements 
of  vocal  mastery  are:  a,  Management  of  the 
Larynx;  b,  Relaxation  of  the  Diaphragm;  c, 
Control  of  the  Breath.  To  these  might  be 
added  a  fourth;  Mixed  Vowels. 

"But  when  all  these  are  mastered,  what  then  ? 
Ah,  so  much  more  it  can  never  be  put  into 


Amelita  G alii- Curd  59 

words.  It  is  self-expression  through  the 
medium  of  tone,  for  tone  must  always  be  a 
vital  part  of  the  singer's  individuality,  colored 
by  feeling  and  emotion.  Tone  is  the  outlet, 
the  expression  of  all  one  has  felt,  suffered  and 
enjoyed.  To  perfect  one's  own  instrument, 
one's  medium  of  expression,  must  always  be 
the  singer's  joy  and  satisfaction." 

"And  you  will  surely  rest  when  the  arduous 
season  is  over?" 

'"Yes,  I  will  rest  when  the  summer  comes, 
and  will  return  to  Italy  this  year.  But  even 
though  I  seem  to  rest,  I  never  neglect  my 
vocal  practice;  that  duty  and  pleasure  is  al- 
ways performed." 

And  with  a  charming  smile  and  clasp  of  the 
hand,  she  said  adieu. 


VI 
GIUSEPPE  DE  LUCA 

CEASELESS  EFFORT  NECESSARY  FOR 
ARTISTIC  PERFECTION 

"A  ROMAN  OF  ROME"  is  what  Mr.  Giuseppe 
De  Luca  has*  been  named.  The  very  words 
themselves  call  up  all  kinds  of  enchanting  pic- 
tures. Sunny  Italy  is  the  natural  home  of 
beautiful  voices :  they  are  her  birthright.  Her 
blue  sky,  flowers  and  olive  trees — her  old 
palaces,  hoary  with  age  and  romantic  story, 
her  fountains  and  marbles,  her  wonderful 
treasures  of  art,  set  her  in  a  world  apart,  in 
the  popular  mind.  Everything  coming  from 
Italy  has  the  right  to  be  romantic  and  artistic. 
If  it  happens  to  be  a  voice,  it  should  of  neces- 
sity be  beautiful  in  quality,  rich,  smooth,  and 
well  trained. 

While  all  singers  who  come  from  the  sunny 
land  cannot  boast  all  these  qualifications,  Mr. 
De  Luca,  baritone  of  the  Metropolitan  Opera 
House,  New  York,  can  do  so.  Gifted  with  a 
naturally  fine  organ,  he  has  cultivated  it  ardu- 
ously and  to  excellent  purpose.  He  began  to 

60 


Giuseppe  De  Luca  61 

study  in  early  youth,  became  a  student  of 
Saint  Cecilia  in  Rome  when  fifteen  years  of 
age,  and  made  his  debut  at  about  twenty.  He 
has  sung  in  opera  ever  since. 

In  1915, — November  2.5th  to  be  exact — De 
Luca  came  to  the  Metropolitan,  and  won  in- 
stant recognition  from  critics  and  public  alike. 
It  is  said  of  him  that  he  earned  "this  success 
by  earnest  and  intelligent  work.  Painstak- 
ing to  a  degree,  there  is  no  detail  of  his  art 
that  he  neglects  or  slights — so  that  one  hesi- 
tates to  decide  whether  he  is  greater  as  a  singer 
or  as  an  actor."  Perhaps,  however,  his  most 
important  quality  is  liis  mastery  of  ffbel  canto" 
— pure  singing — that  art  which  seems  to  be- 
come constantly  rarer  on  the  operatic  and  con- 
cert stage. 

"De  Luca  does  such  beautiful,  finished  work; 
every  detail  is  carefully  thought  out  until  it 
is  as  perfect  as  can  be."  So  remarked  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Metropolitan,  and  a  fellow  artist. 

Those  who  have  listened  to  the  Roman  bari- 
tone in  the  various  roles  he  has  assumed,  have 
enjoyed  his  fine  voice,  his  true  bel  canto  style, 
and  his  versatile  dramatic  skill.  He  has  never 
disappointed  his  public,  and  more  than  this,  is 
ever  ready  to  step  into  the  breach  should  neces- 
sity arise. 


A  man  who  has  at  least  a  hundred  and 
twenty  operas  at  his  tongue's  end,  who  has 
been  singing  in  the  greatest  opera  houses  of 
the  world  for  more  than  twenty  years,  will 
surely  have  much  to  tell  which  can  help  those 
who  are  farther  down  the  line.  If  he  is  will- 
ing to  do  so,  can  speak  the  vernacular,  and  can 
spare  a  brief  hour  from  the  rush  of  constant 
study  and  engagement,  a  conference  will  be 
possible.  It  was  possible,  for  time  was  made 
for  it. 

THE   MUSICAL   GIFT 

Mr.  De  Luca,  who  speaks  the  English  lan- 
guage remarkably  well,  greeted  the  writer  with 
easy  courtesy.  His  genial  manner  makes  one 
feel  at  home  immediately.  Although  he  had 
just  come  from  the  Opera  House,  where  he 
had  sung  an  important  role,  he  seemed  as 
fresh  and  rested  as  though  nothing  had  hap- 
pened. 

"I  think  the  ability  to  act,  and  also,  in  a 
measure,  to  sing,  is  a  gift,"  began  the  artist. 
"I  remember,  even  as  a  little  child,  I  was  al- 
ways acting  out  in  pantomime  or  mimicry  what 
I  had  seen  and  felt.  If  I  was  taken  to  the 
theater,  I  would  come  home,  place  a  chair  for 
audience,  and  act  out  the  whole  stoiy  I  had  just 


Giuseppe  De  Luca  63 

seen  before  it.     From  my  youngest  years  I  al- 
ways wanted  to  sing  and  act. 

A  EEM  ARK  ABLE   TEACHEE 

"As  early  as  I  could,  at  about  the  age  of  fif- 
teen, I  began  to  study  singing,  with  a  most  ex- 
cellent teacher;  who  was  none  other  than  Sig- 
nor  Wenceslao  Persischini,  who  is  now  no 
longer  living.  He  trained  no  fewer  than 
seventy-four  artists,  of  which  I  was  the  last. 
Battestini,  that  wonderful  singer,  whose  voice 
to-day,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five,  is  as  remark- 
able as  ever,  is  one  of  his  pupils.  We  know 
that  if  a  vocal  teacher  sings  himself,  and  has 
faults,  his  pupils  are  bound  to  copy  those 
faults  instinctively  and  unconsciously.  With 
Persischini  this  could  not  be  the  case;  for, 
owing  to  some  throat  trouble,  he  was  not  able 
to  sing  at  all.  He  could  only  whisper  the 
tones  he  wanted,  accompanying  them  with 
signs  and  facial  grimaces."  And  Mr.  De 
Luca  illustrated  these  points  in  most  amusing 
fashion.  Then  he  continued: 

"But  he  had  unerring  judgment,  together 
with  the  finest  ear.  He  knew  perfectly  how 
the  tone  should  be  sung  and  the  student  was 
obliged  to  do  it  exactly  right  and  must  keep 
at  it  till  it  was  right.  He  would  let  nothing 


64  Vocal  Mastery 

faulty  pass  without  correction.  I  also  had  les- 
sons in  acting  from  Madame  Marini,  a  very 
good  teacher  of  the  art. 

THE   ARTIST   LIFE 

"After  five  years  of  hard  study  I  made  my 
debut  at  Piacenza,  as  Valentine,  in  Faust, 
November  6th,  1897.  Then,  you  may  remem- 
ber, I  came  to  the  Metropolitan  in  the  season  of 
1915-1916,  where  I  have  been  singing  con- 
tinually ever  since. 

"The  artist  should  have  good  health,  that 
he  may  be  always  able  to  sing.  He  owes  this 
to  his  public,  to  be  always  ready,  never  to  dis- 
appoint. I  think  I  have  never  disappointed  an 
audience  and  have  always  been  in  good  voice. 
It  seems  to  me  when  one  is  no  longer  able  to 
do  one's  best  it  is  time  to  stop  singing." 

"It  is  because  you  study  constantly  and  sys- 
tematically that  you  are  always  in  good 
voice." 

"Yes,  I  am  always  at  work.  I  rise  at  eight 
in  the  morning,  not  later.  Vocalizes  are  never 
neglected.  I  often  sing  them  as  I  take  my 
bath.  Some  singers  do  not  see  the  necessity  of 
doing  exercises  every  day;  I  am  not  one  of 
those.  I  always  sing  my  scales,  first  with  full 
power,  then  taking  each  tone  softly,  swelling  to 


Giuseppe  De  Luca  65 

full  strength,  then  dying  away — in  mezza  voce. 
I  use  many  other  exercises  also — employing 
full  power.  English  is  also  one  of  the  daily 
studies,  with  lessons  three  times  a  week. 

CONSTANTLY   ON    THE   WATCH 

"When  singing  a  role,  I  am  always  listen- 
ing— watching — to  be  conscious  of  just  what 
I  am  doing.  I  am  always  criticizing  myself. 
If  a  tone  or  a  phrase  does  not  sound  quite  cor- 
rect to  me  as  to  placement,  or  production,  I 
try  to  correct  the  fault  at  once.  I  can  tell 
just  how  I  am  singing  a  tone  or  phrase  by 
the  feeling  and  sensation.  Of  course  I  can- 
not hear  the  full  effect;  no  singer  ever  can 
actually  hear  the  effect  of  his  work,  except  on 
the  records.  There  he  can  learn,  for  the 
first  time,  just  how  his  voice  sounds. 

LEARNING   A   NEW   ROLE 

"How  do  I  begin  a  new  part?  I  first  read 
over  the  words  and  try  to  get  a  general  idea 
of  their  meaning,  and  how  I  would  express 
the  ideas.  I  try  over  the  arias  and  get  an  idea 
of  those.  Then  comes  the  real  work — the 
memorizing  and  working  out  the  conception. 
I  first  commit  the  words,  and  know  them  so 
well  I  can  write  them  out.  Next  I  join  them 


66  Vocal  Mastery 

to  the  music.  So  far  I  have  worked  by  my- 
self. After  this  much  has  been  done,  I  call 
in  the  accompanist,  as  I  do  not  play  the  piano 
very  well;  that  is  to  say,  my  right  hand  will 
go  but  the  left  lags  behind! 

ALWAYS   BEING   SURE  OF   THE   WORDS 

"Yes,  as  you  say,  it  requires  constant  study 
to  keep  the  various  roles  in  review,  especially 
at  the  Metropolitan,  where  the  operas  are 
changed  from  day  to  day.  Of  course  at  per- 
formance the  prompter  is  always  there  to  give 
the  cue — yet  the  words  must  always  be  in 
mind.  I  have  never  yet  forgotten  a  word  or 
phrase.  On  one  occasion — it  was  in  the 
Damnation  of  Faust,  a  part  I  had  already 
sung  a  number  of  times — I  thought  of  a  word 
that  was  coming,  and  seemed  utterly  unable  to 
remember  it.  I  grew  quite  cold  with  fear — I 
am  inclined  to  be  a  little  nervous  anyway — but 
it  was  quite  impossible  to  think  of  the  word. 
Luckily  at  the  moment  when  I  needed  the  word 
I  was  so  fearful  about,  it  suddenly  came  to 
me. 

NATURAL   ANXIETY 

"Of  course  there  is  always  anxiety  for  the 
artist  with  every  public  appearance.  There 


Giuseppe  De  Luca 


is  so  much  responsibility — one  must  always  be 
at  one's  best;  and  the  responsibility  increases 
as  one  advances,  and  begins  to  realize  more 
and  more  keenly  how  much  is  expected  and 
what  depends  on  one's  efforts.  I  can  assure 
you  we  all  feel  this,  from  the  least  to  the  great- 
est. The  most  famous  singers  perhaps  suffer 
most  keenly. 

"I  have  always  sung  in  Italian  opera,  in 
which  the  language  is  easy  for  me.  Latterly  I 
have  added  French  operas  to  my  list.  Sam- 
son and  Delilah,  which  I  had  always  done  in 
Italian,  I  had  to  relearn  in  French ;  this  for  me 
was  very  difficult.  I  worked  a  long  time  on 
it,  but  mastered  it  at  last. 

"This  is  my  twenty-second  season  in  opera. 
I  have  a  repertoire  of  about  one  hundred  and 
twenty  roles,  in  most  of  which  I  have  sung 
many  times  in  Italy.  Some  I  wish  might  be 
brought  out  at  the  Metropolitan.  Verdi's  Don 
Carlos,  for  instance,  has  a  beautiful  baritone 
part;  it  is  really  one  of  the  fine  operas,  though 
it  might  be  considered  a  bit  old-fashioned  to- 
day. Still  I  think  it  would  be  a  success  here. 
I  am  preparing  several  new  parts  for  this 
season ;  one  of  them  is  the  Tschaikowsky  work 
— Eugene  Onegin.  So  you  see  I  am  con- 
stantly at  work. 


68  Focal  Mastery 

"My  favorite  operas?  I  think  they  are 
these";  and  Mr.  De  Luca  hastily  jotted  down 
the  following:  Don  Carlos,  Don  Giovanni, 
Hamlet,  Riyoletto,  Barbier,  Damnation  of 
Faust,  and  last,  but  not  least,  Tannhauser. 

GROWTH    OF    MUSICAL   APPRECIATION    IN 
AMERICA 

Asked  if  he  considered  appreciation  for 
music  had  advanced  during  his  residence  in 
America,  his  answer  was  emphatically  in  the 
affirmative. 

"The  other  evening  I  attended  a  reception 
of  representative  American  society,  among 
whom  were  many  frequenters  of  the  Metropoli- 
tan. Many  of  them  spoke  to  me  of  the  opera 
Marouf.  I  was  surprised,  for  this  modern 
French  opera  belongs  to  the  new  idiom,  and  is 
difficult  to  understand.  'Do  you  really  like  the 
music  of  Marouf?'  I  asked.  'Oh,  yes  indeed,' 
every  one  said.  It  is  one  of  my  longest  parts, 
but  not  one  of  my  special  favorites. 

"In  the  summer!  Ah,  I  go  back  to  my  be- 
loved Italy  almost  as  soon  as  the  Metropolitan 
season  closes.  I  could  sing  in  Buenos  Aires, 
as  the  season  there  follows  the  one  here.  But 
I  prefer  to  rest  the  whole  time  until  I  return. 
I  feel  the  singer  needs  a  period  of  rest  each 


Giuseppe  De  Luca  69 

year.  To  show  you  how  necessary  it  is  for 
the  singer  to  do  daily  work  on  the  voice,  I  al- 
most feel  I  cannot  sing  at  all  during  the  sum- 
mer, as  I  do  no  practicing,  and  without  vocal- 
izes one  cannot  keep  in  trim.  If  I  am  asked  to 
sing  during  vacation,  I  generally  refuse.  I 
tell  them  I  cannot  sing,  for  I  do  not  practice. 
It  takes  me  a  little  while  after  I  return,  to  get 
the  vocal  apparatus  in  shape  again. 

"Thus  it  means  constant  study,  eternal  vigi- 
lance to  attain  the  goal,  then  to  hold  what  you 
have  attained  and  advance  beyond  it  if  possi- 
ble." 


VII 
LUISA  TETRAZZINI 

THE  COLORATURA  VOICE 

LUISA  TETRAZZINI  has  been  called  the  great- 
est exponent  of  coloratura  singing  that  we 
have  at  the  present  time.  Her  phenomenal 
successes  in  various  quarters  of  the  globe, 
where  she  has  been  heard  in  both  opera  and 
concert,  are  well  known,  and  form  pages  of 
musical  history,  full  of  interest.  This  remark- 
able voice,  of  exquisite  quality  and  develop- 
ment, is  another  proof  that  we  have  as  beauti- 
ful voices  to-day,  if  we  will  but  realize  the 
fact,  as  were  ever  known  or  heard  of  in  the 
days  of  famous  Italian  songsters. 

Portraits  often  belie  the  artist,  by  accentuat- 
ing, unduly,  some  individuality  of  face  or  fig- 
ure, and  Tetrazzini  is  no  exception.  From 
her  pictures  one  would  expect  to  find  one  of 
the  imperious,  dominating  order  of  prima 
donnas  of  the  old  school.  When  I  met  the 
diva,  I  was  at  once  struck  by  the  simplicity  of 
her  appearance  and  attire.  There  was  nothing 
pompous  about  her;  she  did  not  carry  herself 

70 


LOUISA   TETRAZZINI 


Luisa  Tetrazzini  71 

with  the  air  of  one  conscious  of  possessing 
something  admired  and  sought  after  by  all 
the  world,  something  which  set  her  on  a  high 
pedestal  apart  from  other  singers.  Not  at 
all.  I  saw  a  little  lady  of  plump,  comfortable 
figure,  a  face  which  beamed  with  kindliness 
and  good  humor,  a  mouth  wreathed  with  smiles. 
Her  manner  and  speech  were  equally  simple 
and  cordial,  so  that  the  visitor  was  put  at 
ease  at  once,  and  felt  she  had  known  the  great 
singer  for  years. 

Before  the  conference  could  begin  a  pretty 
episode  happened,  which  showed  the  human 
side  of  the  singer's  character,  and  gave  a 
glimpse  into  her  every  day  life.  M me.  Tetraz- 
zini was  a  little  late  for  her  appointment,  as 
she  had  been  out  on  a  shopping  expedition,  an 
occupation  which  she  greatly  enjoys.  Await- 
ing her  return  was  a  group  of  photographers, 
who  had  arranged  their  apparatus,  mirrors  and 
flash-light  screen,  even  to  the  piano  stool  on 
which  the  singer  was  to  be  placed.  She  took 
in  the  situation  at  a  glance,  as  she  entered,  and 
obediently  gave  herself  into  the  hands  of  the 
picture  makers. 

"Ah,  you  wish  to  make  me  beautiful,"  she 
exclaimed,  with  her  pretty  accent;  "I  am  not 
beautiful,  but  you  may  try  to  make  me  look 


72  Vocal  Mastery 

so."  With  patience  she  assumed  the  required 
poses,  put  her  head  on  this  side  or  that,  drew 
her  furs  closer  about  her  or  allowed  them  to 
fall  away  from  the  white  throat,  with  its  single 
string  of  pearls.  The  onlooker  suggested  she 
be  snapped  with  a  little  black  "Pom,"  who  had 
found  his  way  into  the  room  and  was  now  an  in- 
terested spectator,  on  his  vantage  ground,  a 
big  sofa.  So  little  "Joy"  was  gathered  up  and 
held  in  affectionate,  motherly  arms,  close 
against  his  mistress'  face.  It  was  all  very 
human  and  natural,  and  gave  another  side  to 
the  singer's  character  from  the  side  she  shows  to 
the  public. 

At  last  the  ordeal  was  over,  and  Madame  was 
free  to  leave  her  post  and  sit  in  one  of  the 
arm  chairs,  where  she  could  be  a  little  more 
comfortable.  The  secretary  was  also  near,  to 
be  appealed  to  when  she  could  not  make  her- 
self intelligible  in  English.  "My  English  is 
very  bad,"  she  protested;  "I  have  not  the  time 
now  to  learn  it  properly ;  that  is  why  I  speak  it 
so  very  bad.  In  the  summer,  or  next  year,  I 
will  really  learn  it.  Now,  what  is  it  I  can 
tell  you?  I  am  ready." 


Luisa  Tetrazzini  73 

FOR   THE   DEBUTANTE 

To  ask  such  a  natural  born  singer  how  she 
studies  and  works,  is  like  asking  the  fish  swim- 
ming about  in  the  ocean,  to  tell  you  where  is 
the  sea!  She  could  not  tell  you  how  she  does 
it.  Singing  is  as  the  breath  of  life  to  Tetraz- 
zini— as  natural  as  the  air  she  breathes.  Real- 
izing this,  I  began  at  the  other  end. 

"What  message  have  you,  Madame,  for  the 
young  singer,  who  desires  to  make  a  career?" 

"Ah,  yes,  the  debutante.  Tell  her  she  must 
practice  much — very  much—  '  and  Madame 
spread  out  her  hands  to  indicate  it  was  a  large 
subject;  "she  must  practice  several  hours  every 
day.  I  had  to  practice  very  much  when  I  be- 
gan my  study — when  I  was  sixteen;  but  now 
I  do  not  have  to  spend  much  time  on  scales  and 
exercises;  they  pretty  well  go  of  themselves"; 
and  she  smiled  sweetly. 

"You  say,"  she  continued,  "the  debutante 
—the  young  singer — does  not  know — in  Amer- 
ica— how  much  she  needs  the  foreign  lan- 
guages. But  she  should  learn  them.  She 
should  study  French,  Italian  and  Spanish,  and 
know  how  to  speak  them.  Because,  if  she 
should  travel  to  those  countries,  she  must  make 
herself  understood,  and  she  must  be  able  to 
sing  in  those  languages,  too. 


74  Vocal  Mastery 

"Besides  the  languages,  it  is  very  good  for 
her  to  study  piano  also;  she  need  not  know 
it  so  well  as  if  she  would  be  a  pianist,  but  she 
should  know  it  a  little ;  yet  it  is  better  to  know 
more  of  the  piano — it  will  make  her  a  better 
musician." 

THE   COLORATURA   VOICE 

"You  love  the  coloratura  music,  do  you  not, 
Madame?" 

"Ah,  yes,  I  love  the  coloratura, — it  suits  me ; 
I  have  always  studied  for  that — I  know  all  the 
old  Italian  operas.  For  the  coloratura  music 
you  must  make  the  voice  sound  high  and  sweet 
— like  a  bird — singing  and  soaring.  You 
think  my  voice  sounds  something  like  Patti's? 
Maybe.  She  said  so  herself.  Ah,  Patti  was 
my  dear  friend — my  very  dear  friend — I  loved 
her  dearly.  She  only  sang  the  coloratura 
music,  thought  she  loved  Wagner  and  dramatic 
music.  Not  long  before  she  died  she  said  to 
me:  'Luisa,  always  keep  to  the  coloratura 
music,  and  the  beautiful  bel  canto  singing;  do 
nothing  to  strain  your  voice;  preserve  its 
velvety  qualit)r.'  Patti's  voice  went  to  C 
sharp,  in  later  years;  mine  has  several  tones 
higher.  In  the  great  aria  in  Lucia,  she  used  to 
substitute  a  trill  at  the  end  instead  of  the  top 


Luisa  Tetrazzini  75 

notes ;  but  she  said  to  me — 'Luisa,  you  can  sing 
the  high  notes !' ' 

"Then  the  breathing,  Madame,  what  would 
you  say  of  that?" 

"Ah,  the  breathing,  that  is  -very  important 
indeed.  You  must  breathe  from  here,  you 
know — what  you  call  it — from  the  diaphragm, 
and  from  both  sides ;  it  is  like  a  bellows,  going 
in  and  out,"  and  she  touched  the  portions  re- 
ferred to.  "One  does  not  sing  from  the  chest, 
— that  would  make  queer,  harsh  tones."  She 
sang  a  few  tones  just  to  show  how  harsh  they 
would  be. 

"You  have  shown  such  wonderful  breath 
control  in  the  way  you  sustain  high  tones,  be- 
ginning them  softly,  swelling  then  diminish- 
ing them." 

"Ah,  yes,  the  coloratura  voice  must  always 
be  able  to  do  those  things,"  was  the  answer. 

"Should  you  ever  care  to  become  a  dramatic 
singer?"  she  was  asked. 

Tetrazzini  grew  thoughtful;  "No,  I  do  not 
think  so,"  she  said,  after  a  pause;  "I  love  my 
coloratura  music,  and  I  think  my  audience  likes 
it  too;  it  goes  to  the  heart — it  is  all  melody, 
and  that  is  what  people  like.  I  sing  lyric 
music  also — I  am  fond  of  that." 

"Yes,  and  you  sing  songs  in  English,  with 


76  Focal  Mastery 

such  good  diction,  that  we  can  all  understand 
you — almost  every  word." 

Madame  beamed. 

"I  promise  you  I  will  learn  English  better 
next  year ;  for  I  shall  come  back  to  my  friends 
in  America  next  autumn.  I  shall  be  in  Italy 
in  the  summer.  I  have  two  homes  over  there, 
one  in  Italy  and  one  in  Switzerland. 

"Do  I  prefer  to  sing  in  opera  or  concert, 
you  ask?  I  believe  I  like  concert  much  better, 
for  many  reasons.  I  get  nearer  to  the  audi- 
ence ;  I  am  freer — much  freer,  and  can  be  my- 
self and  not  some  other  person.  There  is  no 
change  of  costume,  either;  I  wear  one  gown, 
so  it  is  easier;  yes,  I  like  it  much  more. 

"In  traveling  over  your  big  country — you 
see  I  have  just  been  out  to  California  and  back 
— I  find  your  people  have  advanced  so  very 
much  in  appreciation  of  music;  you  know  so 
much  more  than  when  I  was  here  before;  that 
was  indeed  a  long  time  ago — about  twelve 
years, — "  and  Madame  made  a  pretty  little 
gesture. 

"But  in  one  way  your  great  big  country  has 
scarcely  advanced  any  if  at  all;  you  have  not 
advanced  in  providing  opera  for  your  music 
lovers.  You  need  permanent  opera  companies 
in  all  the  larger  cities.  The  opera  companies 


Luis  a  Tetrazzini  77 

of  New  York  and  Chicago  are  fine,  oh  yes,— 
but  they  cannot  give  opera  to  the  whole  coun- 
try. There  are  a  few  traveling  companies 
too,  which  are  good.  But  what  are  they  in 
your  big  country?  You  should  have  opera 
stock  companies  all  over,  which  would  give 
opera  for  the  people.  Then  your  fine  Ameri- 
can girls  would  have  the  chance  to  gain  operatic 
experience  in  their  own  country,  which  they 
cannot  get  now.  That  is  why  the  foreign 
singer  has  such  a  chance  here,  and  that  is  why 
the  native  singer  can  hardly  get  a  chance.  All 
the  American  girls'  eyes  turn  with  longing  to 
the  Metropolitan  Opera  House;  and  with  the 
best  intentions  in  the  world  the  Director  can 
only  engage  a  small  number  of  those  he  would 
like  to  have,  because  he  has  no  room  for  them. 
He  can  not  help  it.  So  I  say,  that  while  your 
people  have  grown  so  much  in  the  liking  and 
in  the  understanding  of  music,  you  do  not 
grow  on  this  side,  because  your  young  singers 
are  obliged  to  travel  to  a  foreign  land  to  get 
the  practice  in  opera  they  are  unable  to  get  at 
home.  You  need  to  do  more  for  the  perma- 
nent establishing  of  opera  in  the  large  and 
small  cities  of  your  country." 

Madame  did  not  express  her  thoughts  quite 
as  consecutively  as  I  have  set  them  down,  but 


78  Focal  Mastery 

I  am  sure  she  will  approve,  as  these  are  her 
ideas  of  the  musical  situation  in  this  country. 

As  I  listened  to  the  words  of  this  "second 
Patti,"  as  she  is  called,  and  learned  of  her 
kindly  deeds,  I  was  as  much  impressed  by  her 
kindness  of  heart  as  I  had  been  by  her  beauti- 
ful art  of  song.  She  does  much  to  relieve  pov- 
erty and  suffering  wherever  she  finds  it.  As 
a  result  of  her  "vocal  mastery,"  she  has  been 
able  to  found  a  hospital  in  Italy  for  victims 
of  tuberculosis,  which  accommodates  between 
three  and  four  hundred  patients.  The  whole 
institution  is  maintained  from  her  own  private 
income.  During  the  war  she  generously  gave 
of  her  time  and  art  to  sing  for  the  soldiers  and 
aided  the  cause  of  the  Allies  and  the  Red  Cross 
whenever  possible.  For  her  labors  of  love  in 
this  direction,  she  has  the  distinction  of  being 
decorated  by  a  special  gold  medal  of  honor, 
by  both  the  French  and  Italian  Governments; 
a  distinction  only  conferred  on  two  others  be- 
side herself. 

After  our  conference,  I  thanked  her  for  giv- 
ing me  an  hour  from  her  crowded  day.  She 
took  my  hand  and  pressed  it  warmly  in  both 
hers. 

"Please  do  not  quite  forget  me,  Madame,'' 

"Indeed  not,  will  you  forget  me?" 


Luisa  Tetrazzini  79 

"No,  I  shall  always  remember  this  delight- 
ful hour." 

"Then,  you  see,  I  cannot  forget  you!"  and 
she  gave  my  hand  a  parting  squeeze. 


VIII 

ANTONIO  SCOTTI 

TRAINING  AMERICAN   SINGERS  FOR   OPERA 

A  SINGER  of  finished  art  and  ripe  experi- 
ence is  Antonio  Scotti.  His  operatic  career 
has  been  rich  in  development,  and  he  stands 
to-day  at  the  top  of  the  ladder,  as  one  of  the 
most  admired  dramatic  baritones  of  our  time. 

One  of  Naples'  sons,  he  made  a  first  ap- 
pearance on  the  stage  at  Malta,  in  1889.  Suc- 
cessful engagements  in  Milan,  Rome,  Madrid, 
Russia  and  Buenos  Aires  followed.  In  1899 
he  came  to  London,  singing  Don  Giovanni  at 
Covent  Garden.  A  few  months  thereafter, 
he  came  to  New  York  and  began  his  first  sea- 
son at  the  Metropolitan.  His  vocal  and  his- 
trionic gifts  won  instant  recognition  here  and 
for  the  past  twenty  years  he  has  been  one  of 
the  most  dependable  artists  of  each  regular 
season. 

C  HAR  ACTERIZATION 

With  all  his  varied  endowments,  it  seldom 
or  never  falls  to  the  lot  of  a  baritone  to  im- 
personate the  lover;  on  the  contrary  it  seems 

80 


Antonio  Scotti  81 

to  be  his  metier  to  portray  the  villain.  Scotti 
has  been  forced  to  hide  his  true  personality  be- 
hind the  mask  of  a  Scarpia,  a  Tonio,  an  lago, 
and  last  but  not  least,  the  most  repulsive  yet 
subtle  of  all  his  villains — Chim-Fang,  in 
I/Oracolo.  Perhaps  the  most  famous  of  them 
all  is  Scarpia.  But  what  a  Scarpia,  the 
quintessence  of  the  polished,  elegant  knave! 
The  refinement  of  Mr.  Scotti's  art  gives  to  each 
role  distinct  characteristics  which  separate  it 
from  all  the  others. 

OPPORTUNITY  FOR   THE  AMERICAN   SINGER 

Mr.  Scotti  has  done  and  is  doing  much  for 
the  young  American  singer,  by  not  only  drill- 
ing the  inexperienced  ones,  but  also  by  giving 
them  opportunity  to  appear  in  opera  on  tour. 
To  begin  this  enterprise,  the  great  baritone 
turned  impresario,  engaged  a  company  of 
young  singers,  most  of  them  Americans,  and, 
when  his  season  at  the  Metropolitan  was  at 
an  end,  took  this  company,  at  his  own  ex- 
pense, on  a  southern  trip,  giving  opera  in  many 
cities. 

Discussing  his  venture  on  one  occasion,  Mr. 
Scotti  said: 

"It  was  an  experiment  in  several  ways. 
First,  I  had  an  all- American  company,  which 


82 


was  indeed  an  experiment.  I  had  some  fine 
artists  in  the  principal  roles,  with  lesser  known 
ones  in  smaller  parts.  With  these  I  worked 
personally,  teaching  them  how  to  act,  thus  pre- 
paring them  for  further  career  in  the  field  of 
opera.  I  like  to  work  with  the  younger  and 
less  experienced  ones,  for  it  gives  me  real  pleas- 
ure to  watch  how  they  improve,  when  they  have 
the  opportunity. 

"Of  course  I  am  obliged  to  choose  my  ma- 
terial carefully,  for  many  more  apply  for  places 
than  I  can  ever  accept. 

ITALIAN   OPERA   IN   AMERICA 

"So  closely  is  Italy  identified  with  all  that 
pertains  to  opera,"  he  continued,  "that  the 
question  of  the  future  of  Italian  opera  in 
America  interests  me  immensely.  It  has  been 
my  privilege  to  devote  some  of  the  best  years 
of  my  life  to  singing  in  Italian  opera  in  this 
wonderful  country  of  yours.  One  is  continu- 
ally impressed  with  the  great  advance  America 
has  made  and  is  making  along  all  musical  lines. 
It  is  marvelous,  though  you  who  live  here  may 
not  be  awake  to  the  fact.  Musicians  in  Eu- 
rope and  other  parts  of  the  world,  who  have 
never  been  here,  can  form  no  conception  of 
the  musical  activities  here. 


Antonio  Scotti  83 

"It  is  very  gratifying  to  me,  as  an  Italian, 
to  realize  that  the  operatic  compositions  of  my 
country  must  play  an  important  part  in  the 
future  of  American  musical  art.  It  seems  to 
me  there  is  more  intrinsic  value — more  variety 
in  the  works  of  modern  Italian  composers  than 
in  those  of  other  nations.  We  know  the 
operas  of  Mozart  are  largely  founded  on  Ital- 
ian models. 

"Of  the  great  modern  Italian  composers,  I 
feel  that  Puccini  is  the  most  important,  because 
he  has  a  more  intimate  appreciation  of  theatri- 
cal values.  He  seems  to  know  just  what  kind 
of  music  will  fit  a  series  of  words  or  a  scene, 
which  will  best  bring  out  the  dramatic  sense. 
Montemezzi  is  also  very  great  in  this  respect. 
This  in  no  way  detracts  from  what  Mascagni, 
Leoncavallo  and  others  have  accomplished.  It 
is  only  my  personal  estimate  of  Puccini  as  a 
composer.  The  two  most  popular  operas  to- 
day are  A'ida  and  Madame  Butterfly,  and 
they  will  always  draw  large  audiences,  although 
American  people  are  prone  to  attend  the  opera 
for  the  purpose  of  hearing  some  particular 
singer  and  not  for  the  sake  of  the  work  of  the 
composer.  In  other  countries  this  is  not  so 
often  the  case.  We  must  hope  this  condition 
will  be  overcome  in  due  time,  for  the  reason 


that  it  now  often  happens  that  good  perform- 
ances are  missed  by  the  public  who  are  only 
attracted  when  some  much  heralded  celebrity 
sings." 

AMERICAN    COMPOSERS 

Asked  for  his  views  regarding  American 
operatic  composers,  Mr.  Scotti  said: 

"American  composers  often  spoil  their 
chances  of  success  by  selecting  uninteresting 
and  uninspired  stories,  which  either  describe 
some  doleful  historic  incident  or  illustrate  some 
Indian  legend,  in  which  no  one  of  to-day  is 
interested,  and  which  is  so  far  removed  from 
actual  life  that  it  becomes  at  once  artificial, 
academic  and  preposterous.  Puccini  spends 
years  searching  for  suitable  librettos,  as  great 
composers  have  always  done.  When  he  finds 
a  story  that  is  worthy  he  turns  it  into  an  opera. 
But  he  will  wait  till  he  discovers  the  right  kind 
of  a  plot.  No  wonder  he  has  success.  In 
writing  modern  music  dramas,  as  all  young 
Americans  endeavor  to  do,  they  will  never  be 
successful  unless  they  are  careful  to  pick  out 
really  dramatic  stories  to  set  to  music." 

OPERATIC   TRAINING 

On  a  certain  occasion  I  had  an  opportunity 
to  confer  with  this  popular  baritone,  and  learn 


Antonio  Scotti  85 

more  in  regard  to  his  experiences  as  impre- 
sario. This  meeting  was  held  in  the  little  back 
office  of  the  Metropolitan,  a  tiny  spot,  which 
should  be — and  doubtless  is — dear  to  every 
member  of  the  company.  Those  four  walls,  if 
they  would  speak,  could  tell  many  interesting 
stories  of  singers  and  musicians,  famed  in  the 
world  of  art  and  letters,  who  daily  pass  through 
its  doors,  or  sit  chatting  on  its  worn  leather- 
covered  benches,  exchanging  views  on  this  per- 
formance or  that,  or  on  the  desirability  or  dif- 
ficulty of  certain  roles.  Even  while  we  were 
in  earnest  conference,  Director  Gatti-Casazza 
passed  through  the  room,  stopping  long  enough 
to  say  a  pleasant  word  and  offer  a  clasp  of  the 
hand.  Mr.  Guard,  too,  flitted  by  in  haste,  but 
had  time  to  give  a  friendly  greeting. 

Mr.  Scotti  was  in  genial  mood  and  spoke 
with  enthusiasm  of  his  activities  with  a  favor- 
ite project — his  own  opera  company.  To  the 
question  as  to  whether  he  found  young  Ameri- 
can singers  in  too  great  haste  to  come  before 
the  public,  before  they  were  sufficiently  pre- 
pared, thus  proving  they  were  superficial  in 
their  studies,  he  replied: 

"No,  I  do  not  find  this  to  be  the  case.  As 
a  general  rule,  young  American  singers  have 
a  good  foundation  to  build  upon.  They  have 


86  Focal  Mastery 

good  voices  to  start  with;  they  are  eager  to 
learn  and  they  study  carefully.  What  they 
lack  most — those  who  go  in  for  opera  I  mean — 
is  stage  routine  and  a  knowledge  of  acting. 
This,  as  I  have  said  before,  I  try  to  give  them. 
I  do  not  give  lessons  in  singing  to  these  young- 
aspirants,  as  I  might  in  this  way  gain  the  en- 
mity of  vocal  teachers;  but  I  help  the  untried 
singers  to  act  their  parts.  Of  course  all  de- 
pends on  the  mentality — how  long  a  process  of 
training  the  singer  needs.  The  coloratura 
requires  more  time  to  perfect  this  manner  of 
singing  than  others  need;  but  some  are  much 
quicker  at  it  than  others. 

"It  is  well  I  am  blessed  with  good  health, 
as  my  task  is  extremely  arduous.  When  on 
tour,  I  sing  every  night,  besides  constantly  re- 
hearsing my  company.  We  are  ninety  in  all, 
including  our  orchestra.  It  is  indeed  a  great 
undertaking.  I  do  not  do  it  for  money,  for 
I  make  nothing  personally  out  of  it,  and  you 
can  imagine  how  heavy  the  expenses  are;  four 
thousand  dollars  a  week,  merely  for  trans- 
portation. But  I  do  it  for  the  sake  of  art, 
and  to  spread  the  love  of  modern  Italian  opera 
over  this  great,  wonderful  country,  the  great- 
est country  for  music  that  exists  to-day.  And 
the  plan  succeeds  far  beyond  my  hopes;  for 


Antonio  Scotti  87 

where  we  gave  one  performance  in  a  place, 
we  now,  on  our  second  visit,  can  give  three — 
four.  Next  year  we  shall  go  to  California. 

"So  we  are  doing  our  part,  both  to  aid  the 
young  singer  who  sorely  needs  experience  and 
to  educate  the  masses  and  general  public  to  love 
what  is  best  in  modern  Italian  opera!" 


IX 

ROSA  RAISA 

PATIENCE  AND  PERSEVERANCE  WIN 
RESULTS 

To  the  present  day  opera  goers  the  name  of 
Rosa  Raisa  stands  for  a  compelling  force. 
In  whatever  role  she  appears,  she  is  always  a 
commanding  figure,  hoth  physically,  dramatic- 
ally and  musically.  Her  feeling  for  dramatic 
climax,  the  intensity  with  which  she  projects 
each  character  assumed,  the  sincerity  and  self 
forgetfulness  of  her  naturalistic  interpreta- 
tion, make  every  role  notable.  Her  voice  is  a 
rich,  powerful  soprano,  vibrantly  sweet  when 
at  its  softest — like  a  rushing  torrent  of  pas- 
sion in  intense  moments.  At  such  moments 
the  listener  is  impressed  with  the  belief  that 
power  and  depth  of  tone  are  limitless;  that 
the  singer  can  never  come  to  the  end  of  her  re- 
sources, no  matter  how  deeply  she  may  draw 
on  them.  There  are  such  moments  of  tragic 
intensity,  in  her  impersonation  of  the  heroine 
in  Jewels  of  the  Madonna,  in  Sister  Angelica, 
in  Norma,  as  the  avenging  priestess,  in  which 

88 


ROSA   RAISA 


Rosa  Raisa  89 


role  she  has  recently  created  such  a  remark- 
able impression. 

A    PRIMA   DONNA   AT    HOME 

If  one  has  pictured  to  one's  self  that  because 
the  Russian  prima  donna  can  show  herself  a 
whirlwind  of  dynamic  passion  on  the  stage, 
therefore  she  must  show  some  of  these  quali- 
ties in  private  life,  one  would  quickly  become 
disabused  of  such  an  impression  when  face  to 
face  with  the  artist.  One  would  then  meet 
a  slender,  graceful  young  woman,  of  gentle 
presence  and  with  the  simplest  manners  in  the 
world.  The  dark,  liquid  eyes  look  at  one  with 
frankness  and  sincerity;  the  wide,  low  brow, 
from  which  the  dark  hair  is  softly  drawn  away, 
is  the  brow  of  a  madonna.  In  repose  the  fea- 
tures might  easily  belong  to  one  of  Raphael's 
saints.  However,  they  light  up  genially  when 
their  owner  speaks. 

Mme.  Raisa  stood  in  the  doorway  of  her 
New  York  apartment,  ready  to  greet  us  as  we 
were  shown  the  way  to  her.  Her  figure,  clad 
in  close-fitting  black  velvet,  looked  especially 
slender;  her  manner  was  kind  and  gracious, 
and  we  were  soon  seated  in  her  large,  com- 
fortable salon,  deep  in  conference.  Before  we 
had  really  begun,  the  singer's  pet  dog  came 


90  Vocal  Mastery 

bounding  to  greet  us  from  another  room.  The 
tiny  creature,  a  Mexican  terrier,  was  most  af- 
fectionate, yet  very  gentle  withal,  and  content 
to  quietly  cuddle  down  and  listen  to  the  con- 
versation. 

"I  will  speak  somewhat  softly,"  began  Mme. 
Raisa,  "since  speaking  seems  to  tire  me  much 
more  than  singing,  for  what  reason  I  do  not 
know.  We  singers  must  think  a  little  of  our 
physical  well  being,  you  see.  This  means 
keeping  regular  hours,  living  very  simply  and 
taking  a  moderate  amount  of  exercise. 

"Yes,  I  always  loved  to  sing;  even  as  a  lit- 
tle child  I  was  constantly  singing.  And  so  I 
began  to  have  singing  lessons  when  I  was  eight 
years  old.  Later  on  I  went  to  Italy  and  lived 
there  for  a  number  of  years,  until  I  began  to 
travel.  I  now  make  my  home  in  Naples.  My 
teacher  there  was  Madame  Marchesio,  who  was 
a  remarkable  singer,  musician  and  teacher — 
all  three.  Even  when  she  reached  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty,  she  could  still  sing  won- 
derfully well.  She  had  the  real  bel  canto,  un- 
derstood the  voice,  how  to  use  it  and  the  best 
way  to  preserve  it.  I  owe  so  much  to  her 
careful,  artistic  training;  almost  everything,  I 
may  say. 


Rosa  Raisa  91 


THE   SINGER  S   LIFE 

"One  cannot  expect  to  succeed  in  the  pro- 
fession of  music  without  giving  one's  best  time 
and  thought  to  the  work  of  vocal  training  and 
all  the  other  subjects  that  go  with  it.  A  man 
in  business  gives  his  day,  or  the  most  of  it,  to 
his  office.  My  time  is  devoted  to  my  art,  and 
indeed  I  have  not  any  too  much  time  to  study 
all  the  necessary  sides  of  it. 

"During  the  season,  I  do  regular  vocal 
practice  each  day  and  keep  the  various  roles 
in  review.  During  the  summer  I  study  new 
parts,  for  then  I  have  the  time  and  the  quiet. 
That  is  what  the  singer  needs — quiet.  I  al- 
ways return  to  Naples  for  the  vacation,  unless 
I  go  to  South  America  and  sing  there.  Then 
I  must  have  a  little  rest  too,  that  I  may  be 
ready  for  the  labors  of  the  following  season. 

VOCAL  TRAINING 

"Even  during  the  busiest  days  technic  prac- 
tice is  never  neglected.  Vocalizes,  scales,  ter- 
zetta — what  you  call  them — broken  thirds,  yes, 
and  long,  slow  tones  in  mezza  di  voce,  that  is, 
beginning  softly,  swelling  to  loud  then  gradu- 
ally diminishing  to  soft,  are  part  of  the  daily 
regime.  One  cannot  omit  these  things  if  one 


92  Focal  Mastery 

would  always  keep  in  condition  and  readiness. 
When  at  work  in  daily  study,  I  sing  softly,  or 
with  medium  tone  quality;  I  do  not  use  full 
voice  except  occasionally,  when  I  am  going 
through  a  part  and  wish  to  try  out  certain  ef- 
fects. 

"ONE  VOICE" 

"I  was  trained  first  as  a  coloratura  and 
taught  to  do  all  the  old  Italian  operas  of 
Bellini,  Rosini,  Donizetti  and  the  rest  of  the 
florid  Italian  school.  This  gives  the  singer  a 
thorough,  solid  training — the  sort  of  training 
that  requires  eight  or  ten  years  to  accomplish. 
But  this  is  not  too  much  time  to  give,  if  one 
wishes  to  be  thoroughly  prepared  to  sing  all 
styles  of  music.  In  former  days,  when  singers 
realized  the  necessity  of  being  prepared  in  this 
way,  there  existed  I  might  say — one  voice; 
for  the  soprano  voice  was  trained  to  sing  both 
florid  and  dramatic  music.  But  in  these  days 
sopranos  are  divided  into  High,  Lyric,  Colora- 
tura and  Dramatic;  singers  choose  which  of 
these  lines  seems  to  suit  best  their  voice  and 
temperament. 

COLORATURA   AND   DRAMATIC 

"It  is  of  advantage  to  the  singer  to  be  trained 
in  both  these  arts.  In  the  smaller  opera 


Rosa  Kaisa  93 


houses  of  Italy,  a  soprano,  if  thus  trained,  can 
sing  Lucia  one  night  and  Nor  ma  the  next; 
Traviata  one  night  and  Trovatore  the  next. 

"Modern  Italian  opera  calls  for  the  dramatic 
soprano.  She  must  be  an  actress  just  as  well 
as  a  singer.  She  must  be  able  to  express  in 
both  voice  and  gesture  intense  passion  and  emo- 
tion. It  is  the  period  of  storm  and  stress. 
Coloratura  voices  have  not  so  much  opportun- 
ity at  the  present  time,  unless  they  are  quite 
out  of  the  ordinary.  And  yet,  for  me,  a  singer 
who  has  mastery  of  the  beautiful  art  of  bel 
canto,  is  a  great  joy.  Galli-Curci's  art  is  the 
highest  I  know  of.  For  me  she  is  the  great- 
est singer.  Melba  also  is  wonderful.  I  have 
heard  her  often — she  has  been  very  kind  to 
me.  When  I  hear  her  sing  an  old  Italian  air, 
with  those  pure,  bell-like  tones  of  hers,  I  am 
lifted  far  up ;  I  feel  myself  above  the  sky. 

DO   NOT   YIELD  TO   DISCOURAGEMENT 

"The  younger  singer  need  not  yield  to  dis- 
couragement, for  she  must  know  from  the  start, 
that  the  mastery  of  a  great  art  like  singing  is 
a  long  and  arduous  task.  If  the  work  seems 
too  difficult  at  times,  do  not  give  up  or  say  'I 
cannot.'  If  I  had  done  that,  I  should  have 


94  Focal  Mastery 

really  given  up  many  times.     Instead  I  say; 
'I  can  do  it,  and  not  only  I  can  but  I  will !' 

MUSICIANSHIP 

"There  are  so  many  sides  to  the  singer's 
equipment,  besides  singing  itself";  and  Mme. 
Raisa  lifted  dark  eyes  and  spread  out  her 
graceful  hands  as  though  to  indicate  the  big- 
ness of  the  subject.  "Yes,  there  is  the  piano, 
for  instance;  the  singer  is  much  handicapped 
without  a  knowledge  of  that  instrument,  for 
it  not  only  provides  accompaniment  but  culti- 
vates the  musical  sense.  Of  course  I  have 
learned  the  piano  and  I  consider  it  necessary 
for  the  singer. 

"Then  there  are  languages.  Be  not  content 
with  your  own,  though  that  language  must  be 
perfectly  learned  and  expressed,  but  learn 
others." 

"You  of  course  speak  several  languages?" 
questioned  the  listener. 

"Yes,  I  speak  eight,"  she  answered  modestly. 
"Russian,  of  course,  for  I  am  Russian;  then 
French,  Italian,  German,  Spanish,  Polish, 
Roumanian  and  English.  Besides  these  I  am 
familiar  with  a  few  dialects. 


Rosa  Raisa  05 


HAVE   PATIENCE 

"So  many  young  singers  are  so  impatient; 
they  want  to  prepare  themselves  in  three  or 
four  years  for  a  career,"  and  Madame  frowned 
her  disapproval.  "Perhaps  they  may  come  be- 
fore the  public  after  that  length  of  time  spent 
in  study;  but  they  will  only  know  a  part — a 
little  of  all  they  ought  to  know.  With  a  longer 
time,  conscientiously  used,  they  would  be  far 
better  equipped.  The  singer  who  spends  nine 
or  ten  years  in  preparation,  who  is  trained  to 
sing  florid  parts  as  well  as  those  which  are 
dramatic — she  indeed  can  sing  anything,  the 
music  of  the  old  school  as  well  as  of  the  new. 
In  Rome  I  gave  a  recital  of  old  music,  assisted 
by  members  of  the  Sistine  Chapel  choir.  We 
gave  much  old  music,  some  of  it  dating  from 
the  sixth  century. 

"Do  I  always  feel  the  emotions  I  express 
when  singing  a  role?  Yes,  I  can  say  that  I  en- 
deavor to  throw  myself  absolutely  into  the  part 
I  am  portraying;  but  that  I  always  do  so  with 
equal  success  cannot  be  expected.  So  many 
unforeseen  occurrences  may  interfere,  which 
the  audience  can  never  know  or  consider.  One 
may  not  be  exactly  in  the  mood,  or  in  the  best 
of  voice;  the  house  may  not  be  a  congenial 


96  Vocal  Mastery 

space,  or  the  audience  is  unsympathetic.  But 
if  all  is  propitious  and  the  audience  with  you — 
then  you  are  lifted  up  and  carry  every  one  with 
you.  Then  you  are  inspired  and  petty  an- 
noyances are  quite  forgotten. 

VOCAL   MASTERY 

"You  ask  a  very  difficult  question  when  you 
ask  of  what  vocal  mastery  consists.  If  I  have 
developed  perfect  control  throughout  the  two 
and  a  half  octaves  of  my  voice,  can  make  each 
tone  with  pure  quality  and  perfect  evenness  in 
the  different  degrees  of  loud  and  soft,  and  if 
I  have  perfect  breath  control  as  well,  I  then 
have  an  equipment  that  may  serve  all  purposes 
of  interpretation. 

"Together  with  vocal  mastery  must  go  the 
art  of  interpretation,  in  which  all  the  mastery 
of  the  vocal  equipment  may  find  expression. 
In  order  to  interpret  adequately  one  ought  to 
possess  a  perfect  instrument,  perfectly  trained. 
When  this  is  the  case  one  can  forget  mechan- 
ism, because  confident  of  the  ability  to  express 
whatever  emotion  is  desired." 

"Have  you  a  message  which  may  be  carried 
to  the  young  singers?"  she  was  asked. 

"Tell  them  to  have  patience — patience  to 
work  and  patience  to  wait  for  results.  Vocal 


Rosa  Raisa  97 


mastery  is  not  a  thing  that  can  be  quickly  ac- 
complished; it  is  not  the  work  of  weeks  and 
months,  but  of  years  of  consistent,  constant 
effort.  It  cannot  be  hurried,  but  must  grow 
with  one's  growth,  both  mentally  and  physi- 
cally. But  the  reward  of  earnest  effort  is  sure 
to  come!" 


X 
LOUISE  HOMER 

THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  A  MUSICAL 
CAREER 

MADAME  LOUISE  HOMER  is  a  native  artist 
to  whom  every  loyal  American  can  point  with 
pardonable  pride.  Her  career  has  been  a  con- 
stant, steady  ascent,  from  the  start;  it  is  a 
career  so  well  known  in  America  that  there  is 
hardly  any  need  to  review  it,  except  as  she  her- 
self refers  to  it  on  the  rare  occasions  when  she 
is  induced  to  speak  of  herself.  For  Mme. 
Homer  is  one  of  the  most  modest  artists  in  the 
world;  nothing  is  more  distasteful  to  her  than 
to  seek  for  publicity  through  ordinary  chan- 
nels. So  averse  is  she  to  any  self-seeking  that 
it  was  with  considerable  hesitation  that  she  con- 
sented to  express  her  views  to  the  writer,  on 
the  singer's  art.  As  Mr.  Sidney  Homer,  the 
well  known  composer  and  husband  of  Mme. 
Homer,  remarked,  the  writer  should  prize  this 
intimate  talk,  as  it  was  the  first  Mme.  Homer 
had  granted  in  a  very  long  time. 

The  artist  had  lately  returned  from  a  long 

98 


LOUISE   HOMER 


Louise  Homer  99 

trip,  crowded  with  many  concerts,  when  I 
called  at  the  Xew  York  residence  of  this  ideal 
musical  pair  and  their  charming  family. 
Mme.  Homer  was  at  home  and  sent  down  word 
she  would  see  me  shortly.  In  the  few  moments 
of  waiting,  I  seemed  to  feel  the  genial  atmos- 
phere of  this  home,  its  quiet  and  cheer.  A 
distant  tinkle  of  girlish  laughter  was  borne 
to  me  once  or  twice;  then  a  phrase  or  two 
sung  by  a  rich,  vibrant  voice  above;  then  in  a 
moment  after,  the  artist  herself  descended  and 
greeted  me  cordially. 

"We  will  have  a  cup  of  tea  before  we  start 
in  to  talk,"  she  said,  and,  as  if  by  magic,  the 
tea  tray  and  dainty  muffins  appeared. 

How  wholesome  and  fresh  she  looked,  with 
the  ruddy  color  in  her  cheeks  and  the  firm 
whiteness  of  neck  and  arms.  The  Japanese 
robe  of  "midnight  blue,"  embroidered  in  yel- 
lows, heightened  the  impression  of  vigorous 
health  by  its  becomingness. 

FOR  THE   GIRL   WHO   WANTS  TO    MAKE  A 
CAREER 

"There  is  so  much  to  consider  for  the  girl 
who  desires  to  enter  the  profession,"  began 
Mme.  Homer,  in  response  to  my  first  query. 
"First,  she  must  have  a  voice,  there  is  no  use 


100  Vocal  Mastery 

attempting  a  career  without  the  voice;  there 
must  be  something  to  develop,  something 
worth  while  to  build  upon.  And  if  she  has  the 
voice  and  the  means  to  study,  she  must  make 
up  her  mind  to  devote  herself  exclusively  to 
her  art;  there  is  no  other  way  to  succeed.  She 
cannot  enter  society,  go  to  luncheons,  dinners 
and  out  in  the  evening,  and  at  the  same  time 
accomplish  much  in  the  way  of  musical  de- 
velopment. Many  girls  think,  if  they  attend 
two  or  three  voice  lessons  a  week  and  learn 
some  songs  and  a  few  operatic  arias,  that  is 
all  there  is  to  it.  But  there  is  far  more.  They 
must  know  many  other  things.  The  vocal 
student  should  study  piano  and  languages; 
these  are  really  essential.  Xot  that  she  should 
strive  to  become  a  pianist;  that  would  not  be 
possible  if  she  is  destined  to  become  a  singer; 
but  the  more  she  knows  of  the  piano  and  its 
literature,  the  more  this  will  cultivate  her  musi- 
cal sense  and  develop  her  taste. 

HOW   AN   ARTIST   WORKS 

"I  am  always  studying,  always  striving  to 
improve  what  I  have  already  learned  and  try- 
ing to  acquire  the  things  I  find  difficult,  or 
that  I  have  not  yet  attained  to.  I  do  vocal 
technic  every  day;  this  is  absolutely  essential, 


Louise  Homer  101 

while  one  is  in  the  harness.  It  is  during  the 
winter  that  I  work  so  industriously,  both  on 
technic  and  repertoire,  between  tours.  This 
is  when  I  study.  I  believe  in  resting  the  voice 
part  of  the  year,  and  I  take  this  rest  in  the 
summer.  Then,  for  a  time,  I  do  not  sing  at 
all.  I  try  to  forget  there  is  such  a  thing  as 
music  in  the  world,  so  far  as  studying  it  is 
concerned.  Of  course  I  try  over  Mr.  Homer's 
new  songs,  when  they  are  finished,  for  summer 
is  his  time  for  composition. 

"Since  the  voice  is  such  an  intangible  instru- 
ment, the  singer  needs  regular  guidance  and 
criticism,  no  matter  how  advanced  she  may  be. 
As  you  say,  it  is  difficult  for  the  singer  to  de- 
termine the  full  effect  of  her  work;  she  often 
thinks  it  much  better  than  it  really  is.  That  is 
human  nature,  isn't  it?"  she  added  with  one  of 
her  charming  smiles. 

THE   START   IN   OPERA 

"How  did  you  start  upon  an  operatic 
career?"  the  singer  was  asked. 

Just  here  Mr.  Homer  entered  and  joined 
in  the  conference. 

"I  do  not  desire  to  go  into  my  life-history, 
as  that  would  take  too  long.  In  a  few  words, 
this  is  how  it  happened — years  ago. 


102  Focal  Mastery 

"We  were  living  in  Boston;  I  had  a  church 
position,  so  we  were  each  busy  with  our  musical 
work.  My  voice  was  said  to  be  'glorious,' 
but  it  was  a  cumbersome,  unwieldy  organ.  I 
could  only  sing  up  to  F;  there  were  so  many 
things  I  wanted  to  do  with  my  voice  that 
seemed  impossible,  that  I  realized  I  needed 
more  training.  I  could  have  remained  where 
I  was;  the  church  people  were  quite  satisfied, 
and  I  sang  in  concert  whenever  opportunity 
offered.  But  something  within  urged  me  on. 
We  decided  to  take  a  year  off  and  spend  it  in 
study  abroad.  Paris  was  then  the  Mecca  for 
singers  and  to  Paris  we  went.  I  plunged  at 
once  into  absorbing  study;  daily  lessons  in 
voice  training  and  repertoire;  languages,  and 
French  diction,  several  times  a  week,  and  soon 
acting  was  added,  for  every  one  said  my  voice 
was  for  the  theater.  I  had  no  idea,  when  I 
started  out,  that  I  should  go  into  opera.  I  had 
always  loved  to  sing,  as  far  back  as  I  can  re- 
member. My  father  was  a  Presbyterian 
clergyman,  and  when  we  needed  new  hymn 
books  for  church  or  Sunday  School,  they  used 
to  come  to  our  house.  I  would  get  hold  of 
every  hymn  book  I  could  find  and  learn  the 
music.  So  I  was  always  singing;  but  an 
operatic  career  never  entered  my  thought,  un- 


Louise  Homer  103 

til  the  prospect  seemed  to  unfold  before  me, 
as  a  result  of  my  arduous  study  in  Paris.  Of 
course  I  began  to  learn  important  arias  from 
the  operas.  Every  contralto  aspires  to  sing 
the  grand  air  from  the  last  act  of  Le 
Prophete;  you  know  it  of  course.  I  told  my 
teacher  I  could  never  do  it,  as  it  demanded 
higher  tones  than  I  had  acquired,  going  up  to 
C.  He  assured  me  it  would  be  perfectly  easy 
in  a  little  while,  if  I  would  spend  a  few  mo- 
ments daily  on  those  high  notes.  His  predic- 
tion was  correct,  for  in  a  few  months  I  had 
no  trouble  with  the  top  notes. 

"I  studied  stage  deportment  and  acting  from 
one  of  the  greatest  singing  actors  of  the  French 
stage,  Paul  Lherie.  What  an  artist  he  was! 
So  subtle,  so  penetrating,  so  comprehensive. 
The  principles  he  taught  are  a  constant  help  to 
me  now,  and  his  remarks  often  come  back  to 
me  as  I  study  a  new  role. 

"As  I  say,  I  studied  this  line  of  work,  not 
knowing  what  would  grow  out  of  it;  I  did  it 
on  faith,  hoping  that  it  might  prove  useful." 

"It  seems  to  me,"  remarked  the  composer, 
"that  young  singers  would  do  well  to  make  a 
study  of  acting,  along  with  languages  and 
piano.  Then,  if  the  voice  developed  and  an 
operatic  career  opened  to  them,  they  would  be 


104  Focal  Mastery 

so  much  better  prepared;  they  would  have 
made  a  start  in  the  right  direction ;  there  would 
not  be  so  much  to  learn  all  at  once,  later  on." 

"If  the  girl  could  only  be  sure  she  was 
destined  for  a  stage  career,"  said  Mme.  Homer, 
thoughtfully,  "she  might  do  many  things  from 
the  start  that  she  doesn't  think  of  doing  before 
she  knows. 

"To  go  on  with  my  Paris  story.  I  kept 
faithfully  at  work  for  a  year,  preparing  my- 
self for  I  knew  not  just  what ;  I  could  not  guess 
what  was  in  store.  Then  I  got  my  first  opera 
engagement,  quite  unexpectedly.  I  was  sing- 
ing for  some  professional  friends  in  a  large 
saale.  I  noticed  a  man  standing  with  his  back 
to  me,  looking  out  of  one  of  the  long  windows. 
When  I  finished,  he  came  forward  and  offered 
me  an  engagement  at  Vichy,  for  the  summer 
season.  The  name  Vichy  only  suggested  to 
my  mind  a  kind  of  beverage.  Now  I  learned 
the  town  had  a  flourishing  Opera  House,  and 
I  was  expected  to  sing  eight  roles.  Thus  my 
stage  career  began." 

WHAT   ARE  THE  ASSETS  FOR  A   CAREER? 

"And  what  must  the  girl  possess,  who  wishes 

to  make  a  success  with  her  singing?"  was  asked. 

"First  of  all,  as  I  have  already  said,  she 


Louise  Homer  105 

must  have  a  voice;  she  can  never  expect  to  get 
very  far  without  that.  Voice  is  a  necessity  for 
a  singer,  but  it  rests  with  her  what  she  will  do 
with  it,  how  she  will  develop  it. 

"The  next  asset  is  intelligence;  that  is  as 
great  a  necessity  as  a  voice.  For  through  the 
voice  we  express  what  we  feel,  what  we  are ;  in- 
telligence controls,  directs,  shines  through  and 
illumines  everything.  Indeed  what  can  be 
done  without  intelligence?  I  could  mention  a 
young  singer  with  a  good  natural  voice,  who 
takes  her  tones  correct!}',  who  studies  well ;  in- 
deed one  can  find  no  fault  with  the  technical 
side  of  her  work ;  but  her  singing  has  no  mean- 
ing— it  says  absolutely  nothing;  it  only  rep- 
resents just  so  many  notes." 

"That  is  because  she  has  not  a  musical  na- 
ture," put  in  Mr.  Homer.  "To  my  mind  that 
is  the  greatest  asset  any  one  can  have  who 
wishes  to  become  a  musician  in  any  branch  of 
the  art.  What  can  be  done  without  a  musical 
nature?  Of  course  I  speak  of  the  young 
singer  who  wishes  to  make  a  career.  There 
are  many  young  people  who  take  up  singing 
for  their  own  pleasure,  never  expecting  to  do 
much  with  it.  And  it  is  a  good  thing  to  do  so. 
It  gives  pleasure  to  their  family  and  friends 
— is  a  healthful  exercise,  and  last  but  not  least, 


106  Vocal  Mastery 

is  financially  good  for  the  teacher  they  employ. 

"But  the  trouble  comes  when  these  super- 
ficial students  aspire  to  become  opera  singers, 
after  a  couple  of  seasons'  study.  Of  course 
they  all  cast  eyes  at  the  Metropolitan,  as  the 
end  and  aim  of  all  striving. 

"Just  as  if,  when  a  young  man  enters  a  law 
office,  it  is  going  to  lead  him  to  the  White 
House,  or  that  he  expects  it  will,"  said  Mr. 
Homer. 

"Then,"  resumed  the  artist,  "we  have  al- 
ready three  requirements  for  a  vocal  career; 
Voice,  Intelligence  and  a  Musical  Nature.  I 
think  the  Fourth  should  be  a  Capacity  for 
Work.  Without  application,  the  gifts  of 
voice,  intelligence  and  a  musical  nature  will 
not  make  an  artist.  To  accomplish  this  task 
requires  ceaseless  labor,  without  yielding  to 
discouragement.  Perhaps  the  Fifth  asset 
would  be  a  cheerful  optimism  as  proof  against 
discouragement. 

"That  is  the  last  thing  the  student  should 
yield  to — discouragement,  for  this  has  stunted 
or  impaired  the  growth  of  many  singers 
possessed  of  natural  talent.  The  young  singer 
must  never  be  down-hearted.  Suppose  things 
do  not  go  as  she  would  like  to  have  them ;  she 
must  learn  to  overcome  obstacles,  not  be  over- 


Louise  Homer  107 

come  by  them.  She  must  have  backbone 
enough  to  stand  up  under  disappointments; 
they  are  the  test  of  her  mettle,  of  her  worthi- 
ness to  enter  the  circle  with  those  who  have 
overcome.  For  she  can  be  sure  that  none  of 
us  have  risen  to  a  place  in  art  without  the  hard- 
est kind  of  work,  struggle  and  the  conquering 
of  all  sorts  of  difficulties. 

"The  sixth  asset  ought  to  be  Patience,  for 
she  will  need  that  in  large  measure.  It  is  only 
with  patient  striving,  doing  the  daily  vocal 
task,  and  trying  to  do  it  each  day  a  little  better 
than  the  day  before,  that  anything  worth  while 
is  accomplished.  It  is  a  work  that  cannot  be 
hurried.  I  repeat  it;  the  student  must  have 
unlimited  patience  to  labor  and  wait  for  re- 
sults. 

COLORATURA   AND   DRAMATIC 

"I  would  advise  every  student  to  study 
coloratura  first.  Then,  as  the  voice  broadens, 
deepens  and  takes  on  a  richer  timbre,  it  will 
turn  naturally  to  the  more  dramatic  expres- 
sion. The  voice  needs  this  background,  or 
foundation  in  the  old  Italian  music,  in  order 
to  acquire  flexibility  and  freedom.  I  was  not 
trained  to  follow  this  plan  myself,  but  my 
daughter  Louise,  who  is  just  starting  out  in 


108  Focal  Mastery 

her  public  career,  has  been  brought  up  to  this 
idea,  which  seems  to  me  the  best. 

MEMORIZING 

"I  memorize  very  easily,  learning  both 
words  and  music  at  the  same  time.  In  taking 
up  a  new  role,  my  accompanist  plays  it  for  me 
and  we  go  over  it  carefully  noting  all  there 
is  in  language  and  notes.  When  I  can  take 
it  to  bed  with  me,  and  go  over  it  mentally; 
when  I  can  go  through  it  as  I  walk  along  the 
street,  then  it  has  become  a  part  of  me ;  then  I 
can  feel  I  know  it." 

"Mme.  Homer  holds  the  banner  at  the 
Metropolitan,  for  rapid  memorizing,"  said 
her  husband.  "On  one  occasion,  when  Das 
Rheingold  was  announced  for  an  evening  per- 
formance, the  Fricka  was  suddenly  indis- 
posed and  unable  to  appear.  Early  in  the 
afternoon,  the  Director  came  to  Mme.  Homer, 
begging  her  to  do  the  part,  as  otherwise  he 
would  be  forced  to  close  the  house  that  night. 
A  singer  had  tried  all  forenoon  to  learn  the 
role,  but  had  now  given  it  up  as  impossible. 
Mme.  Homer  consented.  She  started  in  at 
three  o'clock  and  worked  till  six,  went  on  in  the 
evening,  sang  the  part  without  rehearsal,  and 
acquitted  herself  with  credit.  This  record  has 


Louise  Homer  109 

never  been  surpassed  at  the  Metropolitan." 
"I  knew  the  other  Frickas  of  the  Ring,"  said 
Madame,  "but  had  never  learned  the  one  in  the 
Rheingold;  it  is  full  of  short  phrases  and  dif- 
ficult to  remember,  but  I  came  through  all 
right.  I  may  add,  as  you  ask,  that  perhaps 
Orfeo  is  my  favorite  role,  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful works  we  have." 

VOCAL   MASTERY 

"What  do  I  understand  by  Vocal  Mastery? 
The  words  explain  themselves.  The  singer 
must  master  all  difficulties  of  technic,  of  tone 
production,  so  as  to  be  able  to  express  the 
thought  of  the  composer,  and  the  meaning  of 
the  music." 

"Don't  forget  that  the  singer  must  have  a 
musical  nature,"  added  Mr.  Homer,  "for  with- 
out this  true  vocal  mastery  is  impossible." 


XI 

GIOVANNI  MARTINELLI 

"LET  US  HAVE  PLENTY  OF  OPERA  IN 
AMERICA" 

SAID  the  Professor:  "How  well  I  remem- 
ber the  first  time  I  heard  Martinelli.  We 
were  traveling  in  Italy  that  summer,  and  had 
arrived  in  Verona  rather  late  in  the  afternoon. 
The  city  seemed  full  of  people,  with  many 
strangers,  and  we  could  not  at  first  secure  ac- 
commodations at  the  hotel.  Inquiring  the 
cause,  the  answer  was:  'Does  not  the  signor 
know  that  to-day  is  one  holiday,  and  to-night, 
in  the  Amphitheater,  Alda  will  be  sung,  under 
the  stars.'  We  finally  secured  rooms,  and  of 
course  heard  the  opera  that  night.  Young 
Martinelli  was  the  Rhadames,  and  I  shall  never 
forget  how  splendidly  his  voice  rang  out  over 
those  vast  spaces  of  the  Arena.  It  was  a  most 
unusual  experience  to  hear  that  music  sung  in 
the  open — 'under  the  stars,'  and  it  was  unfor- 
gettable." 

Giovanni  Martinelli,  who  has  been  for  sev- 

110 


GIOVAXXI   MARTINF.I.LI 


Giovanni  Martinelli  111 

eral  years  one  of  the  leading  tenors  at  the 
Metropolitan  Opera  House,  Xew  York,  has 
warmly  entrenched  himself  in  the  hearts  of 
music  lovers  in  America.  To  be  a  great 
singer,  as  some  one  has  said,  requires,  first, 
voice;  second,  voice;  third,  voice.  However, 
at  the  present  hour  a  great  singer  must  have 
more  than  voice;  we  demand  histrionic  ability 
also.  We  want  singing  actors  as  well  as  great 
singers. 

Mr.  Martinelli  is  the  possessor  of  a  beautiful 
voice  and,  moreover,  is  a  fine  actor  and  an  ex- 
cellent musician.  He  was,  first  of  all,  a  clari- 
netist before  he  became  a  singer,  and  so  well 
did  he  play  his  chosen  instrument  that  his  serv- 
ices were  in  great  demand  in  his  home  town  in 
Italy.  Then  it  was  discovered  he  had  a  voice 
and  he  was  told  he  could  make  a  far  greater 
success  with  that  voice  than  he  ever  could  play- 
ing the  clarinet.  He  set  to  work  at  once  to 
cultivate  the  voice  in  serious  earnest  and  under 
good  instruction.  After  a  considerable  time 
devoted  to  study,  he  made  his  debut  in  Milan, 
in  Verdi's  Ernani.  His  success  won  an  en- 
gagement at  Covent  Garden  and  for  Monte 
Carlo. 

A  visit  to  the  singer's  New  York  home  is  a 
most  interesting  experience.  He  has  chosen 


112  Vocal  Mastery 

apartments  perched  high  above  the  great  ar- 
tery of  the  city's  life — Broadway.  From  the 
many  sun-flooded  windows  magnificent  views 
of  avenue,  river  and  sky  are  visible,  while  at 
night  the  electrical  glamour  that  meets  the  eye 
is  fairy-like.  It  is  a  sightly  spot  and  must  re- 
mind the  singer  of  his  own  sun  lighted  atmos- 
phere at  home. 

The  visitor  was  welcomed  with  simple  cour- 
tesy by  a  kindly,  unaffected  gentleman,  who 
insists  he  cannot  speak  "your  English,"  but 
who,  in  spite  of  this  assertion,  succeeds  in  mak- 
ing himself  excellently  well  understood.  One 
feels  his  is  a  mentality  that  will  labor  for  an 
object  and  will  attain  it  through  force  of  effort. 
There  is  determination  in  the  firm  mouth, 
which  smiles  so  pleasantly  when  speaking;  the 
thoughtful  brow  and  serious  eyes  add  their 
share  to  the  forceful  personality.  The  Titian- 
tinted  hair  indicates,  it  is  said,  a  birthplace  in 
northern  Italy.  This  is  quite  true  in  the  case 
of  Mr.  Martinelli,  as  he  comes  from  a  village 
not  far  from  Padua  and  but  fifty  miles  from 
Venice — the  little  town  of  Montagnana. 

DAILY   STUDY 

"You  ask  about  my  daily  routine  of  study. 
In  the  morning  I  practice  exercises  and  vocal- 


Giovanni  Martinclli  113 

izes  for  one  hour.  These  put  the  voice  in  good 
condition,  tune  up  the  vocal  chords  and  oil  up 
the  mechanism,  so  to  speak.  After  this  I  work 
on  repertoire  for  another  hour.  I  always 
practice  with  full  voice,  as  with  half  voice  I 
would  not  derive  the  benefit  I  need.  At  re- 
hearsals I  use  half  voice,  but  not  when  I  study. 
In  the  afternoon  I  work  another  hour,  this  time 
with  my  accompanist;  for  I  do  not  play  the 
piano  myself,  only  just  enough  to  assist  the 
voice  with  a  few  chords.  This  regime  gives 
me  three  hours'  regular  study,  which  seems  to 
me  quite  sufficient.  The  voice  is  not  like  the 
fingers  of  a  pianist,  for  they  can  be  used  with- 
out limit.  If  we  would  keep  the  voice  at  its 
best,  we  must  take  care  not  to  overwork  it. 

TREATMENT   OF   THE   VOICE 

"In  regard  to  the  treatment  of  the  voice, 
each  singer  must  work  out  his  own  salvation. 
A  great  teacher — one  who  understands  his  own 
voice  and  can  sing  as  well  as  teach — may  tell 
how  he  does  things,  may  explain  how  he  treats 
the  voice,  may  demonstrate  to  the  student  his 
manner  of  executing  a  certain  phrase  or  pas- 
sage, or  of  interpreting  a  song.  But  when  this 
is  done  he  can  do  little  more  for  the  student, 
for  each  person  has  a  different  mentality  and  a 


114  Focal  Mastery 

different  quality  of  voice — indeed  there  are  as 
many  qualities  of  voice  as  there  are  people. 
After  general  principles  are  thoroughly  under- 
stood, a  singer  must  work  them  out  according 
to  his  own  ability.  This  does  not  mean  that  he 
cannot  be  guided  and  helped  by  the  greater 
experience  of  a  master  higher  up,  who  can  al- 
ways criticize  the  result  of  what  the  student  is 
trying  to  do.  The  voice  is  a  hidden  instru- 
ment, and  eventually  its  fate  must  rest  with  its 
possessor. 

A   NEW   ROLE 

"When  I  take  up  a  new  part  I  read  the  book 
very  carefully  to  get  a  thorough  idea  of  the 
story,  the  plot  and  the  characters.  Then 
comes  the  study  of  my  own  part,  of  which  I 
memorize  the  words  first  of  all.  As  soon  as 
the  words  are  committed  I  begin  on  the  music. 
When  these  are  both  well  in  hand,  work  with 
the  accompanist  follows. 

"I  have  many  tenor  roles  in  my  repertoire 
and  am  working  on  others.  If  you  ask  for 
my  favorite  opera,  or  operas,  I  would  an- 
swer, as  most  Italians  would  do,  that  I  enjoy 
singing  the  music  of  Verdi  more  than  that  of 
any  composer.  I  love  his  Aida  perhaps  best 
of  all.  Ernani  is  a  beautiful  opera,  but 


Giovanni  Martinelli  115 

maybe  would  be  thought  too  old-fashioned  for 
New  York.  I  sing  various  roles  in  French  as 
well  as  Italian — Faust,  Sans  Gene,  and  many 
more.  In  Italy  we  know  Wagner  very  well — 
Lohengrin,  Tannhauser,  Tristan  and  Meister- 
singer, — but  of  course  they  are  always  sung 
in  Italian. 

OPERA  IN   EVERY   CITY 

"The  Metropolitan  is  one  of  the  greatest 
opera  houses  in  the  world — but  it  is  only  one. 
You  have  a  wonderful  country,  yet  most  of  its 
cities  must  do  without  opera.  Do  not  forget 
that  in  Italy  every  city  and  town  has  its  opera 
house  and  its  season  of  opera,  lasting  ten  weeks 
or  more.  Of  course  the  works  are  not  elabo- 
rately produced,  the  singers  may  not  be  so 
great  or  high-salaried,  but  the  people  are  being 
educated  to  know  and  love  the  best  opera 
music.  Performances  are  given  Wednesdays 
and  Thursdays,  Saturdays  and  Sundays;  the 
singers  resting  the  days  between.  They  need 
to  as  they  are  obliged  to  sing  at  every  per- 
formance. 

"Ah,  if  you  would  follow  some  such  plan  in 
America!  It  would  create  a  great  love  for 
good  music  in  the  smaller  cities  and  towns 
where  people  hear  so  little,  and  so  seldom  this 


116  Focal  Mastery 

kind  of  music.  You  do  so  much  for  music  in 
every  other  style,  but  not  for  opera.  Of 
course  I  must  except  the  half  dozen  cities  large 
enough  and  rich  enough  to  be  favored  with  a 
season  of  extended  operatic  performances; 
these  are  the  real  music  centers  of  your  coun- 
try. 

"I  will  show  you  what  we  do  for  opera  in 
Italy.  Here  is  an  Italian  musical  journal, 
which  I  have  just  received."  Mr.  Martinelli 
took  up  a  single-sheet  newspaper  which  lay 
upon  his  desk.  "You  will  find  all  the  large 
cities  and  most  of  the  small  ones  reported  here. 
Accordingly,  accounts  are  given  of  what  works 
are  being  performed,  what  artists  are  singing 
and  where,  and  how  long  each  season  will  last. 
Thus  we  can  glance  over  the  whole  field  and 
keep  in  touch  with  every  singer.  Naturally, 
the  time  and  length  of  the  seasons  of  perform- 
ance differ  widely  in  the  different  places. 
Thus  a  singer  of  reputation  can  make  engage- 
ments in  various  places,  then  go  from  one  town 
to  another  in  a  complete  tour,  without  conflict- 
ing. 

"I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  singing  a  num- 
ber of  seasons  at  the  Metropolitan.  During 
the  summer  I  do  not  always  go  back  to  Italy 
when  the  season  is  over  here;  last  year  I 


Giovanni  Martinelli  117 

sang  in  Buenos  Aires.  This  keeps  me  at  work 
the  whole  year.  Buenos  Aires  is  a  beautiful 
city,  and  reminds  one  of  Milan.  Yes,  I  like 
New  York.  It  is  more  commercial,  of  course, 
but  I  have  grown  accustomed  to  that  side 
of  it." 

As  the  visitor  was  leaving,  courteously  con- 
ducted through  the  corridor  by  Mr.  Martinelli, 
a  small  chariot  was  encountered,  crammed  with 
dolls  and  toys,  the  whole  belonging  to  little 
Miss  Martinelli,  aged  eleven  months. 

"Shall  you  make  a  singer  of  the  little  lady?" 
the  artist  was  asked. 

"Ah,  no;  one  singer  in  a  family  is  enough," 
was  the  quick  response.  "But  who  can  tell? 
It  may  so  happen,  after  all." 


XII 
ANNA  CASE 

INSPIRED  INTERPRETATION 

ANNA  CASE,  known  from  one  end  of  our 
land  to  the  other,  in  song  recital,  is  surely  one 
hundred  per  cent.  American.  She  was  born 
in  the  little  State  of  New  Jersey,  and  received 
her  entire  vocal  training  right  here  in  New 
York  City,  of  a  single  teacher.  No  running 
about  from  one  instructor  to  another,  "getting 
points"  from  each,  for  this  singer.  She  knew 
from  the  first  moment  that  she  had  found  the 
right  teacher,  one  who  understood  her,  what 
she  wanted  to  do,  and  could  bring  her  to  the 
goal. 

And  when  one  has  discovered  just  the  right 
person  to  develop  talent,  one  should  have  the 
good  sense  and  loyalty  to  stick  to  that  person. 
This  is  exactly  what  Miss  Case  has  done,  for 
along  with  other  gifts  she  has  the  best  gift  of 
all — common  sense.  "Mme.  Ostrom-Renard 
has  been  my  only  teacher,"  she  says;  "whatever 
I  am  or  have  accomplished  I  owe  entirely  to 
her.  She  has  done  everything  for  me;  I  feel 
she  is  the  most  wonderful  teacher  in  the  world." 

118 


ANNA    (ASH 


Anna  Case  119 

A  life  of  constant  travel  and  almost  daily 
concerts  and  recitals,  lies  before  Miss  Case 
from  early  in  the  Autumn  to  the  end  of 
Spring,  with  but  a  few  breathing  places  here 
and  there,  between  the  tours,  when  she  returns 
home  to  rest  up. 

During  one  of  these  oases  it  was  a  pleasant 
experience  to  meet  and  talk  with  the  charming 
young  singer,  in  her  cozy  New  York  apart- 
ment. She  had  just  come  in  from  a  six  weeks' 
trip,  which  had  included  concerts  in  Texas  and 
Mexico,  where  the  usual  success  had  attended 
her  everywhere. 

It  must  surely  give  a  sense  of  relief  to  know 
that  the  quiet  home  is  awaiting  one's  return; 
that  there  are  to  be  found  one's  favorite  books, 
music,  piano,  the  silken  divan,  soft  lights,  pic- 
tures,— all  the  familiar  comforts  one  is  de- 
prived of  on,  the  road. 

The  visitor,  coming  in  from  the  biting  winds 
without,  was  impressed  with  the  comfort  and 
warmth  of  the  small  salon,  as  the  mistress  of 
it  entered.  Clad  in  soft  draperies  of  dull  blue, 
which  but  thinly  veiled  the  white  arms  and  fell 
away  from  the  rounded  throat,  Miss  Case  was 
just  as  beautiful  to  look  upon  as  when  she 
stands  in  bewildering  evening  gown  before  a 
rapt  audience.  And,  what  is  much  more  to  the 


120  Focal  Mastery 

point,  she  is  a  thoroughly  sensible,  sincere 
American  girl,  with  no  frills  and  no  nonsense 
about  her. 

After  greetings  were  over,  the  singer  set- 
tled herself  among  the  silken  cushions  of  her 
divan  ready  for  our  talk. 

"I  believe  I  always  wanted  to  sing,  rather 
than  do  anything  else  in  the  way  of  music.  I 
studied  the  piano  a  little  at  first,  but  that  did 
not  exactly  appeal  to  me.  I  also  began  the 
violin,  because  my  father  is  fond  of  that  instru- 
ment and  wanted  me  to  play  it.  But  the  violin 
was  not  just  what  I  wanted  either,  for  all  the 
time  I  longed  to  sing.  Singing  is  such  a  part 
of  one's  very  self;  I  wanted  to  express  myself 
through  it.  I  had  no  idea,  when  I  started,  that 
I  should  ever  make  a  specialty  of  it,  or  that,  in 
a  comparatively  few  years  I  should  be  singing 
all  over  the  country.  I  did  not  know  what  was 
before  me,  I  only  wanted  to  learn  to  sing. 

"Now  I  cannot  tell  just  how  I  do  the  differ- 
ent things  one  must  do  to  sing  correctly.  I 
know  that,  if  I  have  to  master  some  subject,  I 
just  sit  down  and  work  at  that  thing  till  I  can 
do  it — till  it  is  done.  My  teacher  knows  every 
organ  in  the  anatomy,  and  can  describe  the 
muscles,  bones  and  ligaments  found  in  the 
head,  face  and  throat.  She  can  make  a  dia- 


Anna  Case  121 

gram  of  the  whole  or  any  part.  Not  that  such 
knowledge  is  going  to  make  a  singer,  but  it 
may  help  in  directing  one's  efforts." 

TONE   PLACEMENT 

"Can  you  describe  tone  placement?"  she  was 
asked. 

"For  the  deeper  tones — as  one  makes  them 
—they  seem  to  come  from  lower  down :  for  the 
middle  and  higher  tones,  you  feel  the  vibrations 
in  facial  muscles  and  about  the  eyes,  always 
focused  forward,  just  at  the  base  of  the  fore- 
head, between  the  eyes.  It  is  something  very 
difficult  to  put  into  words;  the  sensations  have 
to  be  experienced,  when  making  the  tones. 
The  singer  must  judge  so  much  from  sensa- 
tion, for  she  cannot  very  well  hear  herself.  I 
do  not  really  hear  myself;  I  mean  by  this  I 
cannot  tell  the  full  effect  of  what  I  am  doing." 

WHEN    TO    PRACTICE 

"No  doubt  you  do  much  practice — or  is  that 
now  necessary?" 

Miss  Case  considered  this  thoughtfully. 

"I  never  practice  when  I  am  tired,  for  then 
it  does  more  harm  than  good.  It  is  much  bet- 
ter for  the  voice  to  rest  and  not  use  it  at  all, 
than  to  sing  when  not  physically  fit.  One 


122  Focal  Mastery 

must  be  in  good  condition  to  make  good  tones ; 
they  will  not  be  clear  and  perfect  if  one  is  not 
strong  and  in  good  health.  I  can  really  study, 
yet  not  sing  at  all.  For  the  whole  work  is 
mental  anyway. 

USING   FULL  VOICE 

,  "When  I  work  on  the  interpretation  of  a 
song,  in  the  quiet  of  my  music  room  here,  I  try 
to  sing  it  just  as  I  would  before  an  audience; 
I  have  not  two  ways  of  doing  it,  one  way  for  a 
small  room  and  another  for  a  large  one.  If 
your  tone  placement  is  correct,  and  you  are 
making  the  right  effects,  they  will  carry 
equally  in  a  large  space.  At  least  this  is  my 
experience.  But,"  she  added,  smiling,  "you 
may  find  other  artists  who  would  not  agree  to 
this,  who  would  think  quite  differently.  Each 
one  must  see  things  her  own  way ;  and  singing 
is  such  an  individual  thing  after  all. 

THE   SUBJECT   OF   INTERPRETATION 

"The  interpretation  of  a  role,  or  song,  is 
everything — of  course.  What  are  mere  notes 
and  signs  compared  to  the  thoughts  expressed 
through  them?  Yet  it  is  evident  there  are  peo- 
ple who  don't  agree  to  this,  for  one  hears  many 
singers  who  never  seem  to  look  deeper  than  the 
printed  page.  They  stand  up  and  go  through 


Anna  Case  123 

their  songs,  but  the  audiences  remain  cold ;  they 
are  not  touched.  The  audiences  are  blamed 
for  their  apathy  or  indifference,  but  how  can 
they  be  warmed  when  the  singer  does  not  kin- 
dle them  into  life? 

"To  me  there  is  a  wonderful  bond  of  sympa- 
thy between  the  audience  and  myself.  I  feel 
the  people,  in  a  sense,  belong  to  me — are  part 
of  my  family.  To  them  I  pour  out  all  my 
feelings — my  whole  soul.  All  the  sorrow  of 
the  sad  songs,  all  the  joy  of  the  gay  ones,  they 
share  with  me.  In  this  spirit  I  come  before 
them ;  they  feel  this,  I  am  sure.  It  awakens  a 
response  at  once,  and  this  always  inspires  me. 
I  put  myself  in  a  receptive  mood;  it  has  the 
desired  effect;  my  interpretation  becomes  in- 
spired through  their  sympathy  and  my  desire 
to  give  out  to  them. 

THE   WORDS   OF  A  SONG   PAB AMOUNT 

"I  feel  the  greatest  thing  about  a  song  is  the 
words.  They  inspired  the  music,  they  were 
the  cause  of  its  being.  I  cannot  imagine,  when 
once  words  have  been  joined  to  music,  how 
other  words  can  be  put  to  the  same  music, 
without  destroying  the  whole  idea.  The  words 
must  be  made  plain  to  the  audience.  Every 
syllable  should  be  intelligible,  and  understood 


Focal  Mastery 


by  the  listener.  I  feel  diction  is  so  absolutely 
essential.  How  can  a  singer  expect  the  audi- 
ence will  take  an  interest  in  what  she  is  doing, 
if  they  have  no  idea  what  it  is  all  about  ?  And 
this  applies  not  only  to  English  songs  but  to 
those  in  French  as  well.  In  an  audience  there 
will  be  many  who  understand  French.  Shall 
the  singer  imagine  she  can  pronounce  a  foreign 
tongue  in  any  old  way,  and  it  will  go  —  in  these 
days?  No,  she  must  be  equally  careful  about 
all  diction  and  see  that  it  is  as  nearly  perfect  as 
she  can  make  it  ;  that  it  is  so  correct  that  any- 
body can  understand  every  word.  When  she 
can  do  this,  she  has  gone  a  long  way  toward 
carrying  her  audience  with  her  when  she  sings. 
"When  the  diction  is  satisfactory,  there  is 
yet  something  much  deeper;  it  is  the  giving  out 
of  one's  best  thought,  one's  best  self,  which 
must  animate  the  song  and  carry  it  home  to 
the  listener.  It  touches  the  heart,  because  it 
comes  from  one's  very  inmost  being.  I  am  a 
creature  of  mood.  I  cannot  sing  unless  I  feel 
like  it.  I  must  be  inspired  in  order  to  give  an 
interpretation  that  shall  be  worth  anything. 

GROWTH   OF  APPRECIATION 

"In  traveling  over  the  country,  I  have  found 
such  wonderful  musical  growth,  and  it  seems 


Anna  Case  125 

to  increase  each  year.  Even  in  little  places 
the  people  show  such  appreciation  for  what  is 
good.  And  I  only  give  them  good  music — the 
best  songs,  both  classical  and  modern.  Noth- 
ing but  the  best  would  interest  me.  In  my 
recent  trip,  down  in  Mexico  and  Oklahoma, 
there  are  everywhere  large  halls,  and  people 
come  from  all  the  country  round  to  attend  a 
concert.  Men  who  look  as  though  they  had 
driven  a  grocery  wagon,  or  like  occupation,  sit 
and  listen  so  attentively  and  with  such  evident 
enjoyment.  I  am  sure  the  circulation  of  the 
phonograph  records  has  much  to  do  with 
America's  present  wonderful  advancement  in 
musical  understanding." 

Just  here  a  large  cat  slipped  through  the 
doorway;  such  a  beautiful  creature,  with  long 
gray  and  white  fur  and  big  blue  eyes. 

"It  is  a  real  chinchilla,  of  high  degree,"  said 
Miss  Case,  caressing  her  pet.  "I  call  her 
Fochette.  I  am  so  fond  of  all  animals,  espe- 
cially dogs  and  cats." 

"You  must  know  the  country  well,  having 
been  over  it  so  much." 

"Yes,  but  oh,  the  long  distances!  It  often 
takes  so  many  hours  to  go  from  one  place  to 
another.  I  think  there  is  a  reason  why  foreign 
singers  are  apt  to  be  rather  stout ;  they  are  not 


126  Focal  Master?/ 

worn  out  by  traveling  great  distances,  as  cities 
are  so  much  nearer  together  than  over  here!" 
And  Miss  Case  smiled  in  amusement.  "But, 
in  spite  of  all  discomforts  of  transportation 
and  so  on,  the  joy  of  bringing  a  message  to  a 
waiting  audience  is  worth  all  it  costs.  I  often 
think,  if  one  could  just  fly  to  Chicago  or  Phila- 
delphia, for  instance,  sing  one's  program  and 
return  just  as  quickly,  without  all  these  hours 
of  surface  travel,  how  delightful  it  would  be! 
I  had  a  wonderful  experience  in  an  airplane 
last  summer.  Ftying  has  the  most  salutary 
effect  on  the  voice.  After  sailing  through  the 
air  for  awhile,  you  feel  as  though  you  could 
sing  anything  and  everything,  the  exhilaration 
is  so  great.  One  takes  in  such  a  quantity  of 
pure  air  that  the  lungs  feel  perfectly  clear  and 
free.  One  can  learn  a  lesson  about  breathing 
from  such  an  experience." 

Before  parting  a  final  question  was  asked: 

"What,  in  your  opinion,  are  the  vital  requi- 
sites necessary  to  become  a  singer?" 

Almost  instantly  came  the  reply : 

"Brains,  Personality,  Voice." 

With  this  cryptic  answer  we  took  leave  of 
the  fair  artist. 


XIII 

FLORENCE  EASTON 

PROBLEMS  CONFRONTING  THE  YOUNG 
SINGER 

ENGLISH  by  birth,  American  by  marriage, 
beloved  in  every  country  where  her  art  is 
known,  Florence  Easton,  after  ten  years  of 
activity  in  the  music  centers  of  Europe,  is  now 
making  her  home  in  America.  Mme.  Easton 
is  a  singer  whose  attitude  towards  music  is  one 
of  deepest  sincerity.  No  one  could  witness  her 
beautiful,  sympathetic  investiture  of  the  Saint 
Elizabeth,  of  Liszt,  or  some  of  her  other  impor- 
tant roles,  without  being  impressed  with  this 
complete,  earnest  sincerity.  It  shines  out  of 
her  earnest  eyes  and  frank  smile,  as  she  greets 
the  visitor ;  it  vibrates  in  the  tones  of  her  voice 
as  she  speaks.  What  can  even  a  whole  hour's 
talk  reveal  of  the  deep  undercurrents  of  an 
artist's  thought?  Yet  in  sixty  minutes  many 
helpful  things  may  be  said,  and  Mme.  Easton, 
always  serious  in  every  artistic  thing  she  under- 
takes, will  wish  the  educational  side  of  our  talk 
to  be  uppermost. 

127 


128  Vocal  Mastery 

THE   YOUNG   SINGER 

"I  have  a  deep  sympathy  for  the  American 
girl  who  honestly  wishes  to  cultivate  her  voice. 
Of  course,  in  the  first  place,  she  must  have  a 
voice  to  start  with;  there  is  no  use  trying  to 
train  something  which  doesn't  exist.  Given 
the  voice  and  a  love  for  music,  it  is  still  difficult 
to  tell  another  how  to  begin.  Each  singer  who 
has  risen,  who  has  found  herself,  knows  by 
what  path  she  climbed,  but  the  path  she  found 
might  not  do  for  another. 

"There  are  quantities  of  girls  in  America 
with  good  voices,  good  looks  and  a  love  for 
music.  And  there  are  plenty  of  good  vocal 
teachers,  too,  not  only  in  New  York,  but  in 
other  large  cities  of  this  great  country.  There 
is  always  the  problem,  however,  of  securing 
just  the  right  kind  of  a  teacher.  For  a 
teacher  may  be  excellent  for  one  voice  but  not 
for  another. 

THE   STUDIO    VERSUS  THE   CONCERT   ROQM 

"The  American  girl,  trained  in  the  studio, 
has  little  idea  of  what  it  means  to  sing  in  a 
large  hall  or  opera  house.  In  the  small  room 
her  voice  sounds  very  pretty,  and  she  can  make 
a  number  of  nice  effects;  she  may  also  have  a 


FLORENCE  EASTON 


Florence  Easton  129 

delicate  pianissimo.  These  things  are  mostly 
lost  when  she  tries  them  in  a  large  space.  It 
is  like  beginning  all  over  again.  She  has  never 
been  taught  any  other  way  but  the  studio  way. 
If  young  singers  could  only  have  a  chance  to 
try  their  wings  frequently  in  large  halls,  it 
would  be  of  the  greatest  benefit.  If  they 
could  sing  to  a  public  who  only  paid  a  nominal 
sum  and  did  not  expect  great  things;  a  public 
who  would  come  for  the  sake  of  the  music  they 
were  to  hear,  because  they  wanted  the  enjoy- 
ment and  refreshment  of  it,  not  for  the  sake  of 
some  singers  with  big  names,  they  would  judge 
the  young  aspirant  impersonally,  which  would 
be  one  of  the  best  things  for  her. 

VALUE   OF    HONEST    CRITICISM 

"Frequently  the  trouble  with  the  young 
singer  is  that  her  friends  too  often  tell  her  how 
wonderful  she  is.  This  is  a  hindrance  instead 
of  a  help.  She  should  always  have  some  one 
who  will  criticize  her  honestly.  The  singer 
cannot  really  hear  herself,  that  is,  not  until  she 
is  well  advanced  in  her  work.  Therefore  she 
should  always  have  the  guidance  of  a  teacher. 
I  never  think  of  giving  a  program  without  go- 
ing through  it  for  criticism.  The  office  of 
critic  is  a  very  difficult  one,  especially  if  you 


130  Focal  Mastery 

are  to  criticize  some  one  you  are  fond  of.  Mr. 
Maclennan  and  I  try  to  do  it  for  each  other. 
I  assure  you  it  is  no  easy  task  to  sing  a  pro- 
gram knowing  some  one  is  listening  who  will 
not  spare  you,  and  will  tell  you  all  your  faults. 
I  know  this  is  all  very  salutary,  hut  it  is  human 
nature  to  wish  to  hear  one's  good  points  rather 
than  the  poor  ones.  I  sometimes  say:  'Do 
tell  me  the  good  things  I  did.'  But  he  says 
he  does  not  need  to  speak  of  those ;  I  only  need 
to  know  my  faults  in  order  that  they  may  be 
corrected. 

"It  is  so  easy  to  overdo  a  little,  one  way  or 
the  other.  For  instance,  you  make  a  certain 
effect, — it  goes  well.  You  think  you  will  make 
it  a  little  more  pronounced  next  time.  And  so 
it  goes  on,  until  before  you  know  it  you  have 
acquired  a  definite  habit,  which  the  critics  will 
call  a  mannerism  and  advise  you  to  get  rid  of. 
So  the  artist  has  to  be  constantly  on  the  watch, 
to  guard  against  these  incipient  faults." 

BREATHING  EXERCISES 

Asked  what  kind  of  breathing  exercises  she 
used,  Mme.  Easton  continued:  "No  doubt 
each  one  has  her  own  exercises  for  the  prac- 
tice and  teaching  of  breath  control.  For  my- 
self, I  stand  at  the  open  window,  for  one 


Florence  Easton  131 

should  always  breathe  pure  air,  and  I  inhale 
and  exhale  slowly,  a  number  of  times,  till  1 
feel  my  lungs  are  thoroughly  clear  and  filled 
with  fresh  air.  Then  I  frequently  sing  tones 
directly  after  these  long  inhalations.  A  one- 
octave  scale,  sung  slowly  in  one  breath,  or  at 
most  in  two,  is  an  excellent  exercise.  You  re- 
member Lilli  Lehmann's  talks  about  the  'long 
scale'?  But  the  way  in  which  she  uses  it  per- 
haps no  one  but  a  Lehmann  could  imitate. 
What  a  wonderful  woman  she  was — and  is! 
She  has  such  a  remarkable  physique,  and  can 
endure  any  amount  of  effort  and  fatigue. 
Every  singer  who  hopes  to  make  a  success  in 
any  branch  of  the  musical  profession,  should 
look  after  the  physical  side,  and  see  that  it  is 
cared  for  and  developed. 

"STUDY  THE  PIANO!" 

"If  a  girl  is  fond  of  music,  let  her  first  of  all 
study  the  piano,  for  a  knowledge  of  the  piano 
and  its  music  is  really  at  the  bottom  of  every- 
thing. If  I  have  a  word  of  advice  to  mothers, 
it  should  be :  'Let  your  child  study  the  piano.' 
All  children  should  have  this  opportunity, 
whether  they  greatly  desire  it  or  not.  The 
child  who  early  begins  to  study  the  piano,  will 
often — almost  unconsciously — follow  the  mel- 


132  Focal  Mastery 

ody  she  plays  with  her  voice.  Thus  the  love  of 
song  is  awakened  in  her,  and  a  little  later  it  is 
discovered  she  has  a  voice  that  is  worth  culti- 
vating. How  many  of  our  great  singers  be- 
gan their  musical  studies  first  at  the  piano. 

"On  the  other  hand,  the  girl  with  a  voice, 
who  has  never  worked  at  the  piano,  is  greatly 
handicapped  from  the  start,  when  she  begins 
her  vocal  studies.  As  she  knows  nothing  of 
the  piano,  everything  has  to  be  played  for 
her, — she  can  never  be  independent  of  the 
accompanist;  she  loses  half  the  pleasure  of 
knowing  and  doing  things  herself." 

FULL   OR   HALF   VOICE 

Asked  if  she  used  full  or  half  voice  for  prac- 
tice, Mme.  Easton  replied: 

"I  do  not,  as  a  rule,  use  full  voice  when  at 
work.  But  this  admission,  if  followed,  might 
prove  injurious  to  the  young  singer.  In  the 
earlier  stages  of  study,  one  should  use  full 
voice,  for  half  voice  might  result  in  very  faulty 
tone  production.  The  advanced  singer,  who 
has  passed  the  experimental  stage  can  do  many 
things  the  novice  may  not  attempt,  and  this  is 
one  of  them. 


Florence  Easton  133 

IN    REGARD    TO    MEMORIZING 

"Here  again  my  particular  method  of  work 
can  hardly  be  of  value  to  others,  as  I  memorize 
with  great  rapidity.  It  is  no  effort  for  me;  I 
seem  to  be  able  to  visualize  the  whole  part. 
Music  has  always  been  very  easy  to  remember 
and  with  sufficient  concentration  I  can  soon 
make  the  words  my  own.  I  always  concen- 
trate deeply  on  what  I  am  doing.  Lately  I 
was  asked  to  prepare  a  leading  role  in  one  of 
the  season's  new  operas,  to  replace  a  singer  at 
short  notice,  should  this  be  necessary.  I  did 
so  and  accomplished  the  task  in  four  days. 
Mr.  Caruso  laughingly  remarked  I  must  have 
a  camera  in  my  head.  I  know  my  own  parts, 
both  voice  and  accompaniment.  In  learning  a 
song,  I  commit  both  voice  and  words  at  the 
same  time. 

FEELING   DEEPLY   DURING   PERFORMANCE 

"I  feel  the  meaning  of  the  music,  the  tragedy 
or  comedy,  the  sadness  or  gayety  of  it  each 
time  I  perform  it,  but  not,  as  a  rule,  to  the 
extent  of  being  entirely  worn  out  with  emo- 
tion. It  depends,  however,  on  the  occasion. 
If  you  are  singing  in  a  foreign  language,  which 
the  audience  does  not  understand,  you  make 


134  Focal  Mastery 

every  effort  to  'put  it  over,'  to  make  them  see 
what  you  are  trying  to  tell  them.  You  strive 
to  make  the  song  intelligible  in  some  way. 
You  may  add  facial  expression  and  gesture, 
more  than  you  would  otherwise  do.  All  this 
is  more  wearing  because  of  the  effort  involved. 

LANGUAGE 

"This  brings  us  to  another  point,  the  study 
of  languages.  The  Italian  sings  nearly  all  his 
roles  in  his  own  tongue,  with  a  few  learned  in 
French.  With  the  Frenchman,  it  is  the  same : 
he  sings  in  his  own  tongue  and  learns  some 
parts  in  Italian.  But  we  poor  Americans  are 
forced  to  learn  our  parts  in  all  three  languages. 
This,  of  itself,  greatly  adds  to  our  difficulties. 
We  complain  that  the  American  sings  his  own 
language  so  carelessly.  An  Italian,  singing 
his  own  language  for  his  own  people,  may  not 
be  any  more  careful  than  we  are,  but  he  will 
make  English,  if  he  attempts  it,  more  intelli- 
gible than  we  do,  because  he  takes  extra  care 
to  do  so.  The  duty  is  laid  upon  Americans  to 
study  other  languages,  if  they  expect  to  sing. 
I  know  how  often  this  study  is  neglected  by 
the  student.  It  is  another  phase  of  that  haste 
to  make  one's  way  which  is  characteristic  of 
the  young  student  and  singer. 


"Take,  for  example,  the  girl  in  the  small 
town,  who  is  trying  to  do  something  with  her 
voice.  She  believes  if  she  can  get  to  New 
York,  or  some  other  music  center,  and  have  six 
months'  lessons  with  some  well  known  teacher, 
she  will  emerge  a  singer.  She  comes  and  finds 
living  expenses  so  great  that  only  one  lesson  a 
week  with  the  professor  is  possible.  There  is 
no  chance  for  language  or  diction  study,  or 
piano  lessons;  yet  all  these  she  ought  to  have. 
And  one  vocal  lesson  a  week  is  entirely  inade- 
quate. The  old  way  of  having  daily  lessons 
was  far  more  successful.  The  present  way 
vocal  teachers  give  lessons  is  not  conducive  to 
the  best  development.  The  pupils  come  in  a 
hurry,  one  after  another,  to  get  their  fifteen 
or  twenty  minutes  of  instruction.  Yet  one 
cannot  blame  the  teacher  for  he  must  live. 

THE   IDEAL   TV  AY 

"The  ideal  way  is  to  have  several  lessons  a 
week,  and  not  to  take  them  in  such  haste.  If 
the  pupil  arrives,  and  finds,  on  first  essay,  that 
her  voice  is  not  in  the  best  of  trim,  how  much 
better  to  be  able  to  wait  a  bit,  and  try  again; 
it  might  then  be  all  right.  But,  as  I  said, 
under  modern  conditions,  this  course  seems  not 
to  be  possible,  for  the  teacher  must  live.  If 


136  Focal  Mastery 

only  vocal  lessons  could  be  free,  at  least  to  the 
talented  ones !  It  seems  sad  that  a  gifted  girl 
must  pay  to  learn  to  sing,  when  it  is  a  very 
part  of  her,  as  much  as  the  song  of  the  bird. 
Ah,  if  I  had  plenty  of  money,  I  would  see  that 
many  of  them  should  have  this  privilege,  with- 
out always  looking  at  the  money  end  of  it. 

AMOUNT   OF  DAILY   PRACTICE 

"It  seems  to  me  the  young  singer  should  not 
practice  more  than  two  periods  of  fifteen  or 
twenty  minutes  each.  At  most  one  should  not 
use  the  voice  more  than  an  hour  a  day.  We 
hear  of  people  practicing  hours  and  hours 
daily,  but  that  is  probably  in  books.  The 
voice  cannot  be  treated  as  the  pianist  or  violin- 
ist does  his  fingers.  One  must  handle  the 
voice  with  much  more  care. 

OPPORTUNITIES   FOR  THE  YOUNG   SINGER 
IN   AMERICA 

"The  chances  for  the  American  singer  to 
make  a  career  in  concert  and  recital  are  abun- 
dant. In  no  other  country  in  the  world  do 
such  opportunities  exist.  If  she  can  meet  the 
requirements,  she  can  win  both  fame  and  for- 
tune on  the  concert  stage. 

"In  opera,  on  the  other  hand,  opportunities 


Florence  Easton  137 

are  few  and  the  outlook  anything  but  hopeful. 
Every  young  singer  casts  longing  eyes  at  the 
Metropolitan,  or  Chicago  Opera,  as  the  goal 
of  all  ambition.  But  that  is  the  most  hopeless 
notion  of  all.  Xo  matter  how  beautiful  the 
voice,  it  is  drill,  routine,  experience  one  needs. 
Without  these,  plus  musical  reputation,  how  is 
one  to  succeed  in  one  of  the  two  opera  houses 
of  the  land  ?  And  even  if  one  is  accepted  'for 
small  parts,'  what  hope  is  there  of  rising,  when 
some  of  the  greatest  artists  of  the  world  hold 
the  leading  roles?  What  the  American  singer 
needs  is  opportunity  to  gain  experience  and 
reputation  in  smaller  places.  Several  years' 
drill  and  routine  would  fit  the  aspirant  for  a 
much  broader  field.  This  would  give  her  com- 
mand over  her  resources  and  herself,  and  per- 
fect her  voice  and  impersonations,  if  she  has 
the  gifts  and  constantly  studies  to  improve 
them.  Even  England,  so  small  compared  to 
America,  has  seven  opera  companies  that 
travel  up  and  down  the  land,  giving  opera; 
they  have  done  this  during  all  the  years  of  the 
war. 

"This  question  of  providing  opportunity  for 
operatic  experience  in  America,  is  one  which 
has  long  been  discussed  and  many  experiments 
have  been  tried,  without  arriving  at  satisfac- 


138  Vocal  Mastery 

tory  results.  What  is  needed  is  to  awaken 
interest  in  opera  in  small  places — just  little 
out-of-the-way  towns.  My  idea  would  be  to 
have  a  regular  stock  local  opera  company,  and 
have  the  standard  operas  studied.  Have  a 
little  orchestra  of  about  twenty  and  a  small 
chorus.  The  small  parts  to  be  learned  by  the 
most  competent  singers  in  the  place.  Then 
have  the  few  principal  roles  taken  by  'guest 
artists,'  who  might  make  these  engagements  in 
regular  route  and  succession.  It  seems  to  me 
such  a  plan  could  be  carried  out,  and  what  a 
joy  it  would  be  to  any  small  community !  But 
people  must  gradually  awake  to  this  need:  it 
will  take  time." 


A  GREAT  podium  backed  with  green,  remind- 
ing one  of  a  forest  of  palms ;  dim  lights  through 
the  vast  auditorium;  a  majestic,  black-robed 
figure  standing  alone  among  the  palms,  pour- 
ing out  her  voice  in  song;  a  voice  at  once  vi- 
brant, appealing,  powerful,  filled  now  with 
sweeping  passion,  again  with  melting  tender- 
ness; such  was  the  stage  setting  for  my  first 
impression  of  Mme.  Marguerite  d'Alvarez,- 
and  such  were  some  of  the  emotions  she  con- 
veyed. 

Soon  after  this  experience,  I  asked  if  I  might 
have  a  personal  talk  with  the  artist  whose  sing- 
ing had  made  such  a  deep  impression  upon  me. 
It  was  most  graciously  granted,  and  at  the  ap- 
pointed hour  I  found  myself  in  a  charmingly 
appointed  yet  very  homelike  salon,  chatting 
with  this  Spanish  lady  from  Peru,  who  speaks 
such  beautiful  English  and  is  courtesy  itself. 

This  time  it  was  not  a  somber,  black-robed 
figure  who  came  forward  so  graciously  to  greet 

139 


140  Focal  Mastery 

me,  for  above  a  black  satin  walking  skirt,  Ma- 
dame had  added  a  blouse  of  soft  creamy  lace, 
which  revealed  the  rounded  curves  of  neck  and 
arms;  the  only  ornament  being  a  string  of 
pearls  about  the  full  throat.  Later  in  our 
talk  I  ventured  to  express  my  preference  for 
cream}7  draperies  instead  of  black,  for  the  con- 
cert room;  but  the  singer  thought  otherwise. 
"No,"  she  said;  "my  gown  must  be  absolutely 
unobtrusive — negative.  I  must  not  use  it  to 
heighten  effect,  or  to  attract  the  audience  to 
me  personally.  People  must  be  drawn  to  me 
by  what  I  express,  by  my  art,  by  what  I  have 
to  give  them." 

But  to  begin  at  the  beginning.  In  answer 
to  my  first  question,  "What  must  one  do  to 
become  a  singer?"  Madame  said: 

"To  become  a  singer,  one  must  have  a  voice; 
that  is  of  the  first  importance.  In  handling 
and  training  that  voice,  breathing  is  perhaps 
the  most  vital  thing  to  be  considered.  To 
some  breath  control  seems  to  be  second  nature ; 
others  must  toil  for  it.  With  me  it  is  intuition ; 
it  has  always  been  natural.  Breathing  is  such 
an  individual  thing.  With  each  person  it  is 
different,  for  no  two  people  breathe  in  just  the 
same  way,  whether  natural  or  acquired.  Just 
as  one  pianist  touches  the  keys  of  the  instru- 


MARGUERITE    D' ALVAREZ 


Marguerite  D' Alvarez  141 

ment  in  his  own  peculiar  way,  unlike  the  ways 
of  all  other  pianists.  For  instance,  no  two 
singers  will  deliver  the  opening  phrase  of  'My 
heart  at  thy  sweet  voice,'  from  Samson,  in 
exactly  the  same  way.  One  w-ill  expend  a 
little  more  breath  on  some  tones  than  on  others; 
one  may  sing  it  softer,  another  louder.  In- 
deed how  can  two  people  ever  give  out  a  phrase 
in  the  same  way,  when  they  each  feel  it  differ- 
ently ?  The  great  thing  is  to  control  the  man- 
agement of  the  breath  through  intelligent 
study.  But  alas," — with  a  pretty  little  depre- 
cating gesture, — "many  singers  do  not  seem  to 
use  their  intelligence  in  the  right  way.  They 
need  to  study  so  many  things  besides  vocalizes 
and  a  few  songs.  They  ought  to  broaden 
themselves  in  every  way.  They  should  know 
books,  pictures,  sculpture,  acting,  architecture, 
—in  short  everything  possible  in  the  line  of  art, 
and  of  life.  For  all  these  things  will  help  them 
to  sing  more  intelligently.  They  should  cul- 
tivate all  these  means  of  self-expression.  For 
myself,  I  have  had  a  liberal  education  in 
music — piano,  harmony,  theory,  composition 
and  kindred  subjects.  And  then  I  love  and 
study  art  in  all  its  forms  and  manifestations." 
"Your  first  recital  in  New  York  was  a  rich 
and  varied  feast,"  I  remarked. 


142  Focal  Mastery 

"Indeed  I  feel  I  gave  the  audience  too  much; 
there  was  such  a  weight  of  meaning  to  each 
song,  and  so  many!  I  cannot  sing  indifferent 
or  superficial  songs.  I  must  sing  those  which 
mean  much,  either  of  sadness  or  mirth,  passion 
or  exaltation.  No  one  knows  (who  has  not 
been  through  it )  what  it  means  to  face  a  great 
audience  of  strangers,  knowing  that  something 
in  you  must  awake  those  people  and  draw  them 
toward  you:  you  must  bare  your  very  soul  to 
them  and  bring  theirs  to  you,  in  answering  re- 
sponse, just  by  your  voice.  It  is  a  wonderful 
thing,  to  bring  to  masses  of  people  a  message 
in  this  way.  I  feel  this  strongly,  whenever  I 
stand  before  a  large  audience,  that  with  every 
note  I  sing  I  am  delivering  something  of  the 
God-given  gift  which  has  been  granted  to  me— 
that  I  can  do  some  good  to  each  one  who  hears. 
If  they  do  not  care  for  me,  or  if  they  misunder- 
stand my  message,  they  may  hate  me — at  first. 
When  they  do  understand,  then  they  adore  me. 

SENTIMENT  VERSUS  TEMPERAMENT 

"You  can  well  believe  it  is  far  more  difficult 
to  sing  a  recital  program  than  to  do  an  operatic 
role.  In  the  recital  you  are  absolutely  alone, 
and  entirely  responsible  for  your  effect  on  the 


Marguerite  D' Alvarez  143 

audience.  You  must  be  able  to  express  every 
variety  of  emotion  and  feeling,  must  make 
them  realize  the  difference  between  sorrow  and 
happiness,  revenge  or  disdain;  in  short,  make 
them,  for  the  moment,  experience  these  things. 
The  artist  who  can  best  vivify  these  varying 
emotions  must  have  temperament.  On  the 
piano,  you  may  hear  players  who  express  sen- 
timent, feeling,  fine  discrimination  in  tone  color 
and  shading;  but  comparatively  few  possess 
real  temperament.  There  is  great  difference 
between  that  quality  and  sentiment.  The 
one  can  be  learned,  to  a  certain  extent;  but 
temperament  is  one's  very  life  and  soul, 
and  is  bound  to  sweep  everything  before  it. 
Of  this  one  thing  I  am  very  sure;  the 
singer  cannot  express  all  these  emotions  with- 
out feeling  them  to  the  full  during  perform- 
ance. I  always  feel  every  phrase  I  sing — 
I  live  it.  That  is  why,  after  a  long  and  ex- 
hausting program,  I  am  perfectly  limp  and 
spent.  For  I  have  given  all  that  was  in  me. 
Friends  of  Sara  Bernhardt  say  that  after  a 
performance,  they  would  find  her  stretched 
prone  on  a  couch  in  her  dressing  room,  scarcely 
able  to  move  or  speak.  The  strain  of  a  public 
appearance,  when  one  gives  one's  heart's  blood, 


144  Focal  Mastery 

is  beyond  words";  and  Madame's  upturned 
face  and  expressive  gesture  denoted  how 
keenly  alive  she  was  to  this  experience. 

After  a  little  pause,  I  said:  "Let  us  come 
down  to  earth,  while  you  tell  me  just  how  you 
study.  No  doubt  you  do  some  daily  technical 
practice." 

MASSAGE   THE   VOICE 

"Oh,  yes,  technic  is  most  important;  one  can 
do  nothing  without  it.  When  I  begin  to  study 
in  the  morning,  I  give  the  voice  what  I  call  a 
massage.  One's  voice  cannot  be  driven,  it 
must  be  coaxed,  enticed.  This  massage  con- 
sists of  humming  exercises,  with  closed  lips. 
Humming  is  the  sunshine  of  the  voice."  The 
singer  illustrated  the  idea  with  a  short  musical 
figure,  consisting  of  three  consecutive  tones  of 
the  diatonic  scale,  ascending  and  descending 
several  times;  on  each  repetition  the  phrase 
began  on  the  next  higher  note  of  the  scale. 
"You  see,"  she  continued,  "this  little  exercise 
brings  the  tone  fully  forward.  As  you  feel  the 
vibration,  it  should  be  directly  between  the 
eyes. 

"Now,  after  you  have  coaxed  the  voice  for- 
ward in  this  way,  and  then  opened  your  lips 
to  sing  a  full  tone,  this  tone  should,  indeed 


Marguerite  D* Alvarez  145 

must,  be  right  in  the  same  place  where  the 
humming  tones  were, — it  cannot  be  anywhere 
else."  Madame  illustrated  again,  first  hum- 
ming on  one  tone,  then  letting  it  out  with  full 
resonance,  using  the  vowel  Ah,  which  melted 
into  O,  and  later  changed  into  U,  as  the  tone 
died  away.  "This  vibration  in  the  voice  should 
not  be  confounded  with  a  tremolo,  which  is,  of 
course,  very  undesirable.  A  voice  without  vi- 
brato, would  be  cold  and  dead,  expressionless. 
There  must  be  this  pulsing  quality  in  the  tone, 
which  carries  waves  of  feeling  on  it. 

"Thus  the  singer  entices  the  voice  to  come 
forward  and  out,  never  treating  it  roughly  or 
harshly,  never  forcing  or  straining  it.  Take 
pleasure  in  every  tone  you  make;  with  patience 
and  pleasure  much  is  accomplished.  I  could 
not  give  you  a  more  useful  tip  than  this." 

"Will  you  tell  me  how  you  learn  a  song?" 
she  was  asked. 

"I  first  read  over  the  text  and  get  a  good 
idea  of  its  meaning.  When  I  begin  to  study 
the  song,  I  never  separate  the  music  from  the 
words,  but  learn  both  together.  I  play  the 
piano  of  course,  and  thus  can  get  a  good  idea 
of  the  accompaniment,  and  of  the  whole  en- 
semble. 

"I  feel  so  strongly  that  real  art,  the  highest 


140  Vocal  Mastery 

art,  is  for  those  who  truly  understand  it  and  its 
mission.  A  dream  of  mine  is  one  day  to  found 
a  school  of  true  art.  Everything  in  this  school 
shall  be  on  a  high  plane  of  thought.  The 
instructors  shall  be  gifted  themselves  and  have 
only  lofty  ideals.  And  it  will  be  such  a  hap- 
piness to  watch  the  development  of  talent 
which  may  blossom  into  genius  through  having 
the  right  nurture.  I  shall  watch  this  work 
from  a  distance,  for  I  might  be  too  anxious  if 
I  allowed  myself  to  be  in  the  midst  of  the  work. 
But  this  is  my  dream,  and  I  hope  it  will  one 
day  come  true." 


XV 


IT  is  often  remarked  that  the  world  has 
grown  far  away  from  coloratura  singing;  that 
what  we  want  to-day  is  the  singing  actor,  the 
dramatic  singer,  who  can  portray  passion- 
tear  it  to  tatters  if  need  be — but  at  least  throw 
into  voice  gesture  and  action  all  the  conflicting 
emotions  which  arise  when  depicting  a  modern 
dramatic  character.  It  is  said,  with  much 
truth,  composers  do  not  write  coloratura  parts 
in  these  days,  since  audiences  do  not  care  to 
listen  to  singers  who  stand  in  the  middle  of  the 
stage,  merely  to  sing  beautiful  arias  and  tonal 
embroideries.  Therefore  there  are  very  few 
coloratura  singers  at  present,  since  their  oppor- 
tunities are  so  limited. 

To  the  last  objection  it  can  be  answered  that 
audiences  do  still  flock  to  hear  a  great  colora- 
tura artist,  for  they  know  they  will  hear  pure, 
beautiful  melodies  when  they  listen  to  the  old 
Italian  operas.  And  melody  proves  to  be  a 
magnet  every  time ;  it  always  touches  the  heart. 

147 


148  Focal  Mastery 

Again,  the  coloratura  singer  is  not  obliged 
to  stand  in  the  middle  of  the  stage,  while  she 
warbles  beautiful  tones,  with  seemingly  little 
regard  for  the  role  she  is  enacting.  The  color- 
atura singer,  who  is  an  artist,  can  act  as  well  as 
sing.  Tetrazzini,  as  she  moves  about  the  room, 
greeting  her  guests,  as  she  does  in  Traviata 
or  Lucia,  can  at  the  same  time  keep  right  on 
with  her  florid  song,  proving  she  can  think  of 
both  arts  at  once. 

It  is  quite  true  there  are  not  many  coloratura 
singers  of  the  first  rank  to-day.  When  you 
have  mentioned  Galli-Curci,  Tetrazzini,  Bar- 
rientos,  and  Frieda  Hempel — the  last  is  both 
lyric  and  coloratura — you  have  named  all  the 
great  ones  who  are  known  to  us  here  in  Amer- 
ica. There  are  a  couple  of  younger  artists, 
Garrison  and  Macbeth,  who  are  rapidly  gain- 
ing the  experience  which  will  one  day  place 
them  in  the  charmed  circle. 

Consider  for  an  instant  the  three  first  named 
singers.  They  stand  at  the  very  top  of  their 
profession ;  they  are  each  and  all  great  in  their 
chosen  line,  to  which  they  are  fitted  by  reason 
of  their  special  vocal  gifts.  Yet  how  abso- 
lutely different  is  each  from  the  other!  They 
cannot  even  be  compared.  They  all  sing  the 
great  florid  arias,  but  each  with  her  own  pe- 


MARIA   BAHRIENTOS 


Maria  Barrientos  149 

culiar  timbre  of  voice,  her  individual  nuance 
and  manner  of  expression.  And  it  is  well  this 
should  be  so.  We  would  not  have  all  colora- 
tura singing  of  the  same  pattern  of  sameness  or 
quality,  for  we  find  uniformity  is  monotonous. 
There  is  one  peculiar  mode  of  mastery  for 
Galli-Curci,  another  for  Tetrazzini,  still  an- 
other for  Barrientos;  each  in  her  particular 
genre  is  unique,  apart. 

Perhaps  this  is  especially  the  case  with  the 
Spanish  prima  donna,  Barrientos,  who  has  for 
several  years  past  come  to  the  Metropolitan  for 
part  of  the  season.  She  lives  very  quietly— 
almost  in  seclusion — in  the  great  city,  keeping 
very  much  to  herself,  with  her  mother  and  the 
members  of  her  household,  and  does  not  care  to 
have  the  simple  routine  she  plans  for  herself 
interrupted  by  any  outside  demands  on  her 
crowded  days. 

Thus  it  happens  that  very  few  come  face  to 
face  with  the  Spanish  artist  except  her  per- 
sonal friends.  But  once  in  a  while  she  breaks 
the  strict  rule,  and  will  consent  to  speak  with  a 
serious  questioner  about  her  manner  of  study, 
how  she  happened  to  take  up  a  musical  career, 
also  some  of  the  characteristics  of  her  country, 
its  people  and  its  musical  art. 

As  her  own  art  of  song  is  most  delicate  and 


150  Focal  Mastery 

pure,  as  her  instrument  is  the  most  fragile  and 
ethereal  of  any  of  the  voices  of  her  class,  so  the 
singer  herself  is  of  slight  and  delicate  physique. 
Her  oval  face,  with  its  large  luminous  eyes,  has 
a  charm  more  pronounced  than  when  seen  on 
the  other  side  of  the  footlights.  Her  manner 
is  simple  and  sincere,  in  common  with  that  of 
all  great  artists. 

"Although  I  always  loved  singing,  I  never 
expected  to  become  a  singer,"  began  Mme. 
Barrientos,  as  we  were  seated  on  a  comfortable 
divan  in  her  artistic  music  room.  "As  a  very 
young  girl,  hardly  more  than  a  child,  my  health 
became  delicate.  I  had  been  working  very 
hard  at  the  Royal  Conservatory  of  Music,  in 
Barcelona,  my  native  city,  studying  piano,  vio- 
lin and  theory,  also  composition.  I  was  al- 
ways a  delicate  child,  and  the  close  application 
required  for  these  studies  was  too  much  for  me. 
Singing  was  prescribed  in  order  to  develop  my 
chest  and  physique ;  I  took  it  up  as  a  means  of 
health  and  personal  pleasure,  without  the 
slightest  idea  to  what  it  might  lead. 

"You  speak  of  the  responsibility  of  choosing 
a  good  and  reliable  vocal  instructor.  This  is 
indeed  a  difficult  task,  because  each  teacher  is 
fully  persuaded  that  his  method  is  the  only  cor- 
rect one.  But  there  are  so  many  teachers,  and 


Maria  Barrientos  1.31 

some  of  them  do  not  even  sing  themselves  at 
all.  Can  you  imagine  a  vocal  teacher  who  can- 
not sing  himself,  who  is  so  to  say  voiceless,  un- 
able to  demonstrate  what  he  teaches  ?  A  piano 
or  violin  teacher  must  play  his  instrument,  or 
he  will  not  be  able  to  show  the  pupils  how  it 
ought  to  be  done.  But  the  vocal  teacher  thinks 
to  instruct  without  demonstrating  what  he  is 
trying  to  impart. 

BEGINNING   VOCAL   STUDY   WITH    OPERA 

"So  I  did  not  begin  my  studies  with  a  regu- 
lar vocal  teacher,  but  with  a  dilettante — I  do 
not  know  just  how  you  say  that  in  English. 
This  gentleman  was  not  a  professional ;  he  was 
a  business  man  who  at  the  same  time  was  a  good 
musician.  Instead  of  starting  me  with  a  lot  of 
scales  and  exercises,  we  began  at  once  with  the 
operas.  I  was  twelve  years  old  when  I  began, 
and  after  one  year  of  this  kind  of  study,  made 
my  debut  in  the  role  of  Inez,  in  L'Africaine. 
About  this  time  I  lost  my  kind  instructor,  who 
passed  away.  I  then  worked  by  myself  until 
I  was  sixteen,  when  I  began  to  study  technic 
systematically.  As  you  see,  then,  I  am  prac- 
tically self-taught.  It  seems  to  me,  if  one  has 
voice  and  intelligence,  one  can  and  should  be 
one's  own  teacher.  No  one  else  can  do  as 


152  Focal  Mastery 

much  for  you  as  you  can  do  for  yourself.  You 
can  tell  what  the  sensations  are,  what  parts  are 
relaxed  and  what  parts  are  firm,  better  than 
any  one  else.  You  can  listen  and  work  on  tone 
quality  until  it  reaches  the  effect  you  desire. 
I  do  not  neglect  vocal  technic  now,  for  I  know 
its  value.  I  do  about  three  quarters  of  an 
hour  technical  practice  every  day — scales  and 
exercises. 

MEMORIZING 

"I  memorize  very  easily ;  it  only  takes  a  few 
weeks  to  learn  an  operatic  role.  I  spent  three 
weeks  on  Coq  d'Or,  and  that  is  a  difficult  part, 
so  many  half  tones  and  accidentals.  But  I 
love  that  music,  it  is  so  beautiful;  it  is  one  of 
my  favorite  roles.  Some  parts  are  longer  and 
more  difficult  than  others.  Of  course  I  know 
most  of  the  Italian  operas  and  many  French 
ones.  I  should  like  to  sing  Mireille  and  Lakme 
here,  but  the  Director  may  wish  to  put  on  other 
works  instead. 

SPANISH   OPERA 

"Yes,  we  have  native  opera  in  Spain,  but 
the  works  of  our  operatic  composers  are  little 
known  in  other  lands.  The  Spanish  people 
are  clannish,  you  see,  and  seem  to  lack  the 


Maria  Barrientos  153 

ambition  to  travel  abroad  to  make  their  art 
known  to  others;  they  are  satisfied  to  make 
it  known  to  their  own  people.  Casals  and  I 
—we  are  perhaps  the  ones  who  regularly  visit 
you,  though  you  have  several  Spanish  singers 
in  the  opera  who  reside  here  permanently. 

"As  for  Spanish  composers  of  instrumental 
music,  you  are  here  somewhat  familiar  with 
the  names  of  Grovelez  and  Albeniz ;  Granados 
you  know  also,  both  his  opera,  Goyescas, 
which  was  performed  at  the  Metropolitan,  and 
his  personality.  He  came  to  America  to  wit- 
ness the  premier  of  his  opera,  and  while  here 
proved  he  was  a  most  excellent  pianist  as  well 
as  a  composer  of  high  merit,  which  fact  was  re- 
vealed in  his  piano  and  vocal  compositions. 
The  American  people  were  most  kind  and  ap- 
preciative to  him.  When  the  disaster  came 
and  he  was  lost  at  sea,  the  testimonial  they 
sent  his  orphaned  children  was  a  goodly  sum, 
though  I  hardly  think  the  children  appreciated 
your  goodness. 

"Among  the  composers  in  Spain  who  have 
turned  their  gifts  toward  operatic  channels  I 
can  mention  Pedrell,  Morea,  Falla,  Vives  and 
Breton.  Vives  is  now  writing  an  opera  for 
me,  entitled  Abanico.  Gradually,  no  doubt, 
the  music  of  our  country,  especially  its  opera, 


154  Focal  Mastery 

will  find  its  way  to  other  lands.  Even  in  Eng- 
land, I  am  told,  Spanish  music  is  very  little 
known;  our  many  distinguished  modern  musi- 
cians are  hardly  even  names.  Of  course  the 
world  knows  our  Toreador  songs,  our  castanet 
dances,  and  the  like;  perhaps  they  think  we 
have  little  or  no  serious  music,  because  it  is 
still  unknown.  Spanish  music  is  peculiar  to 
the  country;  it  is  permeated  with  the  national 
spirit  and  feeling." 

Asked  if  she  would  sing  in  South  America 
during  the  vacation,  the  singer  answered: 

"I  have  sung  there  with  great  success.  But 
I  shall  not  be  able  to  go  there  this  summer. 
My  little  boy  has  been  placed  in  a  school  in 
France;  it  is  the  first  time  we  have  been  sepa- 
rated, and  it  has  been  very  hard  for  me  to  have 
the  ocean  between  us.  I  shall  sing  at  Atlanta, 
the  first  week  of  May,  and  then  sail  the  middle 
of  the  month  for  France.  Yes,  indeed,  I  hope 
to  return  to  America  next  season. 

"I  trust  you  have  been  able  to  understand 
my  poor  English,"  she  said  smiling,  as  she 
parted  with  her  visitor;  "we  speak  several  lan- 
guages here  in  my  home — Spanish  with  my 
mother  and  friends,  French  and  Italian  with 
others  in  the  household.  But  there  seems  little 
necessity  for  using  English,  even  though  I  am 


Maria  Barrientos  155 

living  in  the  heart  of  the  metropolis.  Perhaps 
next  year,  I  shall  master  your  language  bet- 
ter." 

And  the  picture  of  her,  as  she  stood  in  her 
artistic,  home-like  salon,  with  its  lights,  its 
pictures  and  flowers,  is  even  more  lasting  than 
any  to  be  remembered  on  the  operatic  stage. 


XVI 

CLAUDIA  MUZIO 

A  CHILD  OF  THE  OPERA 

IN  tales  of  romance  one  reads  sometimes  of 
a  gifted  girl  who  lives  in  a  musical  atmosphere 
all  her  life,  imbibing  artistic  influences  as  nat- 
urally and  almost  as  unconsciously  as  the  air 
she  breathes.  At  the  right  moment,  she  sud- 
denly comes  out  into  the  light  and  blossoms 
into  a  full  fledged  singer,  to  the  surprise  and 
wonder  of  all  her  friends.  Or  she  is  brought 
up  behind  the  scenes  in  some  great  Opera 
House  of  the  world,  where,  all  unnoticed  by 
her  elders,  she  lives  in  a  dream  world  of  her 
own,  peopled  by  the  various  characters  in  the 
operas  to  which  she  daily  listens.  She  watches 
the  stage  so  closely  and  constantly  that  she  un- 
consciously commits  the  roles  of  the  heroines 
she  most  admires,  to  memory.  She  knows 
what  they  sing,  how  they  act  the  various  parts, 
how  they  impersonate  the  characters.  Again, 
at  the  right  moment,  the  leading  prima  donna 
is  indisposed,  there  is  no  one  to  take  her  place ; 

156 


CLAUDIA   Muzio 


Claudia  Muzio  157 

manager  is  in  despair,  when  the  slip  of  a  girl, 
who  is  known  to  have  a  voice,  but  has  never 
sung  in  opera,  offers  to  go  on  in  place  of  the 
absent  one.  She  is  finally  permitted  to  do  so; 
result,  a  popular  success. 

Some  pages  of  Claudia  Muzio's  musical 
story  read  like  the  romantic  experiences  of  a 
novel-heroine.  She,  too,  was  brought  up  in 
great  opera  houses,  and  it  seemed  natural,  that 
in  due  course  of  time,  she  should  come  into  her 
own,  in  the  greatest  lyric  theater  of  the  land 
of  her  adoption. 

When  she  returned  to  America,  a  couple  of 
years  ago,  after  gaining  experience  in  Europe, 
she  arrived  toward  the  end  of  the  season  pre- 
ceding her  scheduled  debut  here,  to  prepare 
herself  more  fully  for  the  coming  appearance 
awaiting  her. 

I  was  asked  to  meet  and  talk  with  the  young 
singer,  to  ascertain  her  manner  of  study,  and 
some  of  her  ideas  regarding  the  work  which 
lay  before  her. 

"It  was  always  my  dream  to  sing  at  the 
Metropolitan,  and  my  dream  has  come  true." 

Claudia  Muzio  said  the  words  with  her  bril- 
liant smile,  as  her  great  soft  dark  eyes  gazed 
luminously  at  the  visitor. 


158  Focal  Mastery 

The  day  was  cold  and  dreary  without,  but 
the  singer's  apartment  was  of  tropical  warmth. 
A  great  bowl  of  violets  on  the  piano  exhaled 
delicious  fragrance;  the  young  Italian  in  the 
bloom  of  her  oriental  beauty,  seemed  like  some 
luxuriant  tropical  blossom  herself. 

Claudia  Muzio,  who  was  just  about  to  take 
her  place  among  the  personnel  of  the  Metro- 
politan, is  truly  to  the  manner  born, — a  real 
child  of  the  opera.  She  has  lived  in  opera  all 
her  life,  has  imbibed  the  operatic  atmosphere 
from  her  earliest  remembrance.  It  must  be  as 
necessary  for  a  singer  who  aspires  to  fill  a 
high  place  in  this  field  of  artistic  endeavor, 
to  live  amid  congenial  surroundings,  as  for  a 
pianist,  violinist  or  composer  to  be  environed 
by  musical  influences. 

"Yes,  I  am  an  Italian,"  she  began,  "for  I 
was  born  in  Italy;  but  when  I  was  two  years 
old  I  was  taken  to  London,  and  my  childhood 
was  passed  in  that  great  city.  My  father  was 
stage  manager  at  Covent  Garden,  and  has  also 
held  the  same  post  at  the  Manhattan  and  Me- 
tropolitan Opera  Houses  in  New  York.  So  I 
have  grown  up  in  the  theater.  I  have  always 
listened  to  opera — daily,  and  my  childish  im- 
agination was  fired  by  seeing  the  art  of  the 
great  singers.  I  always  hoped  I  should  one 


Claudia  Muzio  159 

day  become  a  singer,  so  I  always  watched  the 
artists  in  action,  noting  how  they  did  every- 
thing. As  a  result,  I  do  not  now  have  to  study 
acting  as  a  separate  branch  of  the  work,  for 
acting  comes  to  me  naturally.  I  am  very  tem- 
peramental; I  feel  intuitively  how  the  role 
should  be  enacted. 

"All  tiny  children  learn  to  sing  little  songs, 
and  I  was  no  exception.  I  acquired  quite  a 
number,  and  at  the  age  of  six,  exhibited  my 
accomplishments  at  a  little  recital.  But  I 
never  had  singing  lessons  until  I  began  to  study 
seriously  at  about  the  age  of  sixteen.  Al- 
though I  did  not  study  the  voice  till  I  reached 
that  age,  I  was  always  occupied  with  music, 
for  I  learned  as  a  little  girl  to  play  both  harp 
and  piano. 

"We  lived  in  London,  of  which  city  I  am 
very  fond,  from  the  time  I  was  two,  till  I  was 
fourteen,  then  we  came  to  America.  After 
residing  here  a  couple  of  years,  it  was  decided 
I  should  make  a  career,  and  we  went  to  Italy. 
I  was  taken  to  Madame  Anna  Casaloni  at 
Turino.  She  was  quite  elderly  at  that  time, 
but  she  had  been  a  great  singer.  When  she 
tried  my  voice,  she  told  me  it  was  quite  prop- 
erly placed — so  I  had  none  of  that  drudgery 
to  go  through. 


160  Focal  Mastery 

"At  first  my  voice  was  a  very  light  soprano, 
hardly  yet  a  coloratura.  It  became  so  a  little 
later,  however,  and  then  gradually  developed 
into  a  dramatic  soprano.  I  am  very  happy 
about  this  fact,  for  I  love  to  portray  tears  as 
well  as  laughter — sorrow  and  tragedy  as  well 
as  lightness  and  gayety.  The  coloratura  man- 
ner of  singing  is  all  delicacy  and  lightness,  and 
one  cannot  express  deep  emotion  in  this  way. 

"We  subsequently  went  to  Milano,  where 
I  studied  with  Madame  Viviani,  a  soprano  who 
had  enjoyed  great  success  on  the  operatic 
stage. 

"After  several  years  of  serious  study  I  was 
ready  to  begin  my  career.  So  I  sang  in  Milan 
and  other  Italian  cities,  then  at  Covent  Garden, 
and  now  I  am  in  the  Metropolitan.  In  Italy 
I  created  the  role  of  Fiora  in  Amore  del  ire 
Re,  and  sang  with  Ferrari-Fontana.  I  also 
created  Francesca  in  Francesca  da  Rimini,  un- 
der its  composer,  Zandonai.  I  have  a  reper- 
toire of  about  thirty  operas,  and  am  of  course 
adding  to  it  constantly,  as  one  must  know  many 
more  than  thirty  roles.  Since  coming  to  New 
York,  I  have  learned  Aida,  which  I  did  not 
know  before,  and  have  already  appeared  in  it. 
It  was  learned  thoroughly  in  eight  days.  Xow 
I  am  at  work  on  Madame  Butterfly. 


Claudia  Muzio  161 


"I  work  regularly  every  morning  on  vocal 
technic.  Not  necessarily  a  whole  hour  at  a 
stretch,  as  some  do;  but  as  much  time  as  I 
feel  I  need.  I  give  practically  my  whole  day 
to  study,  so  that  I  can  make  frequent  short 
pauses  in  technical  practice.  If  technic  is 
studied  with  complete  concentration  and  vigor, 
as  it  always  should  be,  it  is  much  more  fatigu- 
ing than  singing  an  opera  role. 

"You  ask  about  the  special  forms  of  exer- 
cises I  use.  I  sing  all  the  scales,  one  octave 
each — once  slow  and  once  fast — all  in  one 
breath.  Then  I  sing  triplets  on  each  tone,  as 
many  as  I  can  in  one  breath.  I  can  sing  about 
fifteen  now,  but  I  shall  doubtless  increase  the 
number.  For  all  these  I  use  full  power  of 
tone.  Another  form  of  exercise  is  to  take 
one  tone  softly,  then  go  to  the  octave  above, 
which  tone  is  also  sung  softly,  but  there  is  a 
large  crescendo  made  between  the  two  soft 
tones.  My  compass  is  three  octaves — from  C 
below  middle  C,  to  two  octaves  above  that 
point.  I  also  have  C  sharp,  but  I  do  not  prac- 
tice it,  for  I  know  I  can  reach  it  if  I  need 
it,  and  I  save  my  voice.  Neither  do  I  work 
on  the  final  tones  of  the  lowest  octave,  for  the 
same  reason — to  preserve  the  voice. 


162  Focal  Mastery 

BREATH    CONTROL 

"Every  singer  knows  how  important  is  the 
management  of  the  breath.  I  always  hold  the 
chest  up,  taking  as  long  breaths  as  I  can  con- 
veniently do.  The  power  to  hold  the  breath, 
and  sing  more  and  more  tones  with  one  breath, 
grows  with  careful,  intelligent  practice. 
There  are  no  rules  about  the  number  of 
phrases  you  can  sing  with  a  single  breath.  A 
teacher  will  tell  you;  if  you  can  sing  two 
phrases  with  one  breath,  do  so;  if  not,  take 
breath  between.  It  all  rests  with  the  singer. 

MEMORIZING 

"I  learn  words  and  music  of  a  role  at  the 
same  time,  for  one  helps  the  other.  When  I 
have  mastered  a  role,  I  know  it  absolutely, 
words,  music  and  accompaniment.  I  can  al- 
ways play  my  accompaniments,  for  I  under- 
stand the  piano.  I  am  always  at  work  on 
repertoire,  even  at  night.  I  don't  seem  to  need 
very  much  sleep,  I  think,  and  I  often  memorize 
during  the  night;  that  is  such  a  good  time  to 
work,  for  all  is  so  quiet  and  still.  I  lie  awake 
thinking  of  the  music,  and  in  this  way  I  learn 
it.  Or,  perhaps  it  learns  itself.  For  when 
I  retire  the  music  is  not  yet  mastered,  not  yet 


Claudia  Muzio  163 

my  own,  but  when  morning  comes  I  really 
know  it. 

"Of  course  I  must  know  the  words  with 
great  exactness,  especially  in  songs.  I  shall 
do  English  songs  in  my  coming  song  recital 
work,  and  the  words  and  diction  must  be  per- 
fect, or  people  will  criticize  my  English.  I 
always  write  out  the  words  of  my  roles,  so 
as  to  be  sure  I  understand  them  and  have  them 
correctly  memorized. 

KEEPING   UP   REPERTOIRE 

"Most  singers,  I  believe,  need  a  couple  of 
days — sometimes  longer — in  which  to  review  a 
role.  I  never  use  the  notes  or  score  when  go? 
ing  over  a  part  in  which  I  have  appeared,  for 
I  know  them  absolutely,  so  there  is  no  occa- 
sion to  use  the  notes.  Other  singers  appear 
frequently  at  rehearsal  with  their  books,  but 
I  never  take  mine.  My  intimate  knowledge 
of  score,  when  I  assisted  my  father  in  taking 
charge  of  operatic  scores,  is  always  a  great 
help  to  me.  I  used  to  take  charge  of  all  the 
scores  for  him,  and  knew  all  the  cuts,  changes 
and  just  how  they  were  to  be  used.  The  sing- 
ers themselves  often  came  to  me  for  stage  di- 
rections about  their  parts,  knowing  I  had  this 
experience. 


164  Focal  Mastery 

"Yes,  as  you  suggest,  I  could  sing  here  in 
winter,  then  in  South  America  in  summer." 
(Miss  Muzio  accomplished  this  recently,  with 
distinguished  success  and  had  many  thrilling 
adventures  incident  to  travel.)  "This  would 
mean  I  would  have  no  summer  at  all,  for  that 
season  with  them  is  colder  than  we  have  it 
here.  Xo,  I  wrant  my  summer  for  rest  and 
study.  During  the  season  at  the  Metropoli- 
tan I  give  up  eveiything  for  my  art.  I  refuse 
all  society  and  the  many  invitations  I  receive 
to  be  guest  of  honor  here  and  there.  I  remain 
quietly  at  home,  steadfastly  at  work.  My  art 
means  everything  to  me,  and  I  must  keep  my- 
self in  the  best  condition  possible,  to  be  read}' 
when  the  call  comes  to  sing.  One  cannot  do 
both,  you  know;  art  and  society  do  not  mix 
well.  I  have  never  disappointed  an  audience; 
it  would  be  a  great  calamity  to  be  obliged  to 
do  so." 


XVII 

EDWARD  JOHNSON 
(EDOUARDO  DI  GIOVANNI) 

THE  EVOLUTON  OF  AN  OPERA  STAR 

THE  story  of  Edward  Johnson's  musical 
development  should  prove  an  incentive,  nay 
more,  a  beacon  light  along  the  path  of  con- 
sistent progress  toward  the  goal  of  vocal  and 
operatic  achievement.  Indeed  as  a  tiny  child 
he  must  have  had  the  desire  to  become  a  singer. 
A  friend  speaks  of  musical  proclivities  which 
began  to  show  themselves  at  an  early  age,  and 
describes  visits  of  the  child  to  their  home, 
where,  in  a  little  Lord  Fauntleroy  suit,  he 
would  stand  up  before  them  all  and  sing  a 
whole  recital  of  little  songs,  to  the  delight  of 
all  his  relatives.  The  singer's  progress,  from 
the  musical  child  on  and  up  to  that  of  an  oper- 
atic artist,  has  been  rational  and  healthy,  with 
nothing  hectic  or  overwrought  about  it;  a  con- 
stant, gradual  ascent  of  the  mountain.  And 
while  an  enviable  vantage  ground  has  been 
reached,  such  an  artist  must  feel  there  are  yet 
other  heights  to  conquer.  For  even  excellence, 

165 


166  Focal  Mastery 

already  achieved,  requires  constant  effort  to 
be  held  at  high  water  mark.  And  the  desire 
for  greater  perfection,  which  every  true  artist 
must  feel,  is  a  never-ending  urge  to  continued 
struggle. 

In  a  recent  conversation  with  the  tenor,  Mr. 
Johnson  spoke  of  early  days,  when  he  desired 
above  everything  else  to  become  a  musician  and 
follow  a  musical  career,  though  his  family  ex- 
pected him  to  enter  the  business  world.  He 
came  to  New  York  to  look  the  ground  over, 
hoping  there  might  be  opportunity  to  continue 
his  studies  and  make  his  way  at  the  same  time. 
He  was  fortunate  enough  to  secure  a  church 
position,  and  sang  subsequently  in  some  of  the 
best  New  York  and  Brooklyn  churches. 
After  this  period  he  did  much  concert  work, 
touring  through  the  Middle  West  with  the 
Chicago  Symphony  Orchestra  and  singing  in 
many  Music  Festivals  throughout  the  coun- 
try. 

But  church  and  concert  singing  did  not  en- 
tirely satisfy;  he  longed  to  try  his  hand  at 
opera, — in  short  to  make  an  operatic  career. 
He  was  well  aware  that  he  would  not  find  this 
field  nor  gain  the  necessary  experience  in 
America;  he  must  go  to  Italy,  the  land  of 
song,  to  gain  the  required  training  and  ex- 


EDWARD  JOHNSON 


Edward  Johnson  167 

perience.  lie  was  also  fully  aware  of  the 
fact  that  there  was  plenty  of  hard  work,  and 
probably  many  disappointments  before  him, 
but  he  did  not  shrink  from  either. 

"Fortunately,  I  have  a  fund  of  humor,"  he 
said,  and  there  was  a  twinkle  in  his  eye  as  he 
spoke.  "It  is  a  saving  grace,  as  you  say;  with- 
out it  I  believe  I  should  have  many  times  given 
up  in  sheer  despair." 

Mr.  Johnson  went  to  Italy  in  1909,  begin- 
ning at  once  his  studies  with  Lombardi,  in 
Florence.  In  the  ten  years  of  his  absence  from 
his  home  land  he  has  built  up  a  reputation  and 
made  a  career  in  the  great  operatic  centers  of 
Italy,  Spain  and  South  America.  After  his 
debut  in  Padua,  he  became  leading  tenor  at 
La  Scala,  Milan,  for  five  consecutive  seasons. 
In  Rome  he  spent  four  seasons  at  the  Costanzi 
Theater,  in  the  meantime  making  two  visits 
to  the  Colon  Theater,  Buenos  Aires,  and  filling 
engagements  in  Madrid,  Bologna,  Florence 
and  Genoa. 

"How  could  I  stay  away  from  America  for 
such  a  length  of  time?  you  ask.  For  various 
reasons.  I  was  getting  what  I  had  come  to 
Italy  for,  experience  and  reputation.  I  was 
comfortable  and  happy  in  my  work.  I  loved 
the  beautiful  country,  and  the  life  suited  me. 


108  Focal  Mastery 

The  people  were  kind.  I  had  my  own  home 
in  Florence,  which  is  still  there  and  to  which  I 
can  return  when  my  season  is  over  here.  Best 
of  all  I  had  the  opportunity  of  creating  all  the 
new  tenor  roles  in  the  recent  operas  of  Puccini, 
Montemezzi,  Pizzetti  and  Gratico.  I  also  cre- 
ated the  role  of  Parsifal  in  Italian,  and  the 
first  season  at  La  Scala,  it  was  performed 
twenty-seven  times." 

"With  your  permission  let  us  go  a  little  into 
detail  in  regard  to  the  needs  of  the  young 
singer  and  his  method  of  study,  so  that  he  may 
acquire  vocal  mastery.  What  do  you  consider 
the  most  important  and  necessary  subject  for 
the  young  singer,  or  any  one  who  wishes  to 
enter  the  profession,  to  consider?" 

"A  musical  education,"  was  the  prompt,  un- 
hesitating reply.  "So  many  think  if  they  have 
a  good  natural  voice  and  take  singing  lessons, 
that  is  quite  sufficient;  they  will  soon  become 
singers.  But  a  singer  should  also  be  a  musi- 
cian. He  should  learn  the  piano  by  all  means 
and  have  some  knowledge  of  theory  and  har- 
mony. These  subjects  will  be  of  the  greatest 
benefit  in  developing  his  musicianship;  indeed 
he  cannot  well  get  on  without  them.  A  beauti- 
ful voice  with  little  musical  education,  is  not  of 
as  much  value  to  its  possessor  as  one  not  so 


Edward  Johnson  169 

beautiful,  which  has  been  well  trained  and  is 
coupled  with  solid  musical  attainments. 

A    MUSICAL   CAREER 

"If  one  goes  in  for  a  musical  career,  one 
should  realize  at  the  start,  something  of  what 
it  means,  what  is  involved,  and  what  must  go 
with  it.  Singing  itself  is  only  a  part,  perhaps 
even  the  smaller  part,  of  one's  equipment.  If 
opera  be  the  goal,  there  are  languages,  acting, 
make  up,  impersonation,  interpretation,  how 
to  walk,  how  to  carry  oneself,  all  to  be  added 
to  the  piano  and  harmony  we  have  already 
spoken  of.  The  art  of  the  singer  is  a  profes- 
sion— yes,  and  a  business  too.  You  prepare 
yourself  to  fill  a  public  demand;  you  must 
prove  yourself  worthy,  you  must  come  up  to 
the  standard,  or  there  will  not  be  a  demand 
for  what  you  have  to  offer.  And  it  is  right 
this  should  be  so.  We  should  be  willing  to 
look  the  situation  fairly  in  the  eye,  divesting  it 
of  all  those  rose  colored  dreams  and  fancies; 
then  we  should  get  right  down  to  work. 

NOT    MANY   RULES 

"If  you  get  right  down  to  the  bottom,  there 
are  in  reality  not  so  many  singing  rules  to 
learn.  You  sing  on  the  five  vowels,  and  when 


170  Vocal  Mastery 

you  can  do  them  loudly,  softly,  and  with  mezzo 
voce,  you  have  a  foundation  upon  which  to 
build  vocal  mastery.  And  yet  some  people 
study  eight,  ten  years  without  really  laying  the 
foundation.  Why  should  it  take  the  singer 
such  a  long  time  to  master  the  material  of  his 
equipment?  A  lawyer  or  doctor,  after  leaving 
college,  devotes  three  or  four  years  only  to 
preparing  himself  for  his  profession,  receives 
his  diploma,  then  sets  up  in  business.  It  ought 
not  to  be  so  much  more  difficult  to  learn  to  sing1 
than  to  learn  these  other  professions. 

THE  EAE 

"Of  course  the  ear  is  the  most  important 
factor,  our  greatest  ally.  It  helps  us  imitate. 
Imitation  forms  a  large  part  of  our  study. 
We  hear  a  beautiful  tone;  we  try  to  imitate  it; 
we  tiy  in  various  ways,  with  various  place- 
ments, until  we  succeed  in  producing  the  sound 
we  have  been  seeking.  Then  we  endeavor  to 
remember  the  sensations  experienced  in  order 
that  we  may  repeat  the  tone  at  will.  So  you 
see  Listening,  Imitation  and  Memory  are  very 
important  factors  in  the  student's  develop- 
ment. 


Edward  Johnson  171 

BEL   CANTO 

"I  have  just  spoken  of  a  beautiful  tone. 
The  old  Italian  operas  cultivate  the  bel  canto, 
that  is — beautiful  singing.  Of  course  it  is  well 
for  the  singer  to  cultivate  this  first  of  all,  for 
it  is  excellent,  and  necessary  for  the  voice. 
But  modern  Italian  opera  portrays  the  real 
men  and  women  of  to-day,  who  live,  enjoy, 
suffer,  are  angry  and  repentant.  Bel  canto 
will  not  express  these  emotions.  When  a  man 
is  jealous  or  in  a  rage,  he  will  not  stand  quietly 
in  the  middle  of  the  stage  and  sing  beautiful 
tones.  He  does  not  think  of  beautiful  tones 
at  all.  Hatred  and  jealousy  should  be  ex- 
pressed in  the  voice  as  well  as  in  action  and 
gesture ;  they  are  far  from  lovely  in  themselves, 
and  to  be  natural  and  true  to  life,  they  will 
not  make  lovely  tones  in  the  voice.  We  want 
singing  actors  to-day,  men  and  women  who 
can  adequately  portray  the  characters  they 
impersonate  through  both  voice  and  action. 

LEARNING  A  BOLE 

"In  taking  up  a  new  part  I  vocalize  the 
theme  first,  to  get  an  idea  of  the  music;  then 
I  learn  the  words.  After  this  I  work  with  the 
accompanist  who  comes  to  me  every  morning. 
Of  course,  besides  this,  I  do  daily  vocalizes 


172  Focal  Mastery 

and  vocal  exercises;  one  must  always  keep  up 
one's  vocal  technic. 

"But  learning  words  and  music  is  only  a 
part  of  the  work  to  be  done  on  a  role.  It  must 
then  be  interpreted;  more  than  this  it  must  be 
visualized.  This  part  of  the  work  rests  largely 
with  the  singer,  and  gives  opportunity  for  his 
individuality  to  assert  itself.  Of  course  the 
general  idea  of  the  characterization  is  given 
us,  the  make-up,  posturing  and  so  on.  To 
work  out  these  ideas,  to  make  the  part  our  own, 
to  feel  at  home  in  it,  so  that  it  shall  not  seem 
like  acting,  but  appear  perfectly  natural — all 
this  takes  a  great  deal  of  thought,  time  and 
study.  It  is  all  a  mental  process,  as  every 
one  knows;  we  must  project  our  thought  out 
to  the  audience,  we  must  'get  it  over,'  or  it  will 
never  strike  fire!" 

INTERPRETATION 

On  the  subject  of  individuality  in  interpre- 
tation, Mr.  Johnson  was  convincing.  "I  feel 
that  if  I  have  worked  out  a  characterization, 
I  must  stick  to  my  idea,  in  spite  of  what  others 
say.  It  is  my  own  conception,  and  I  must 
either  stand  or  fall  by  it.  At  times  I  have 
tried  to  follow  the  suggestions  of  this  or  that 


Edward  Johnson  173 

critic  and  have  changed  my  interpretation  to 
suit  their  taste.  But  it  always  rendered  me 
self  conscious,  made  my  work  unnatural  and 
caused  me  speedily  to  return  to  my  own  con- 
ception. 

LEARNING   BY   DOING 

"The  singer  finds  the  stage  a  great  teacher. 
Before  the  footlights  he  has  constant  oppor- 
tunity to  try  out  this  or  that  effect,  to  note 
which  placement  of  the  voice  best  fits  the  tones 
he  wishes  to  produce.  Then,  too,  he  soon 
learns  to  feel  whether  he  has  made  the  impres- 
sion he  had  hoped,  whether  he  has  the  audi- 
ence with  him.  If  he  cannot  win  the  audience, 
he  takes  careful  thought  to  see  why.  In  or- 
der to  win  his  hearers,  to  get  his  work  across 
the  footlights,  there  are  certain  things  he  must 
have,  virtues  he  must  possess.  For  instance," 
— and  the  artist  counted  them  off  on  his  finger 
tips, — "he  must  have  Accent,  Diction,  Char- 
acterization, and  above  all,  Sincerity.  No 
matter  what  other  good  qualities  he  may 
possess,  he  must  be  sincere  before  anything 
else.  If  he  lack  this  the  audience  soon  finds 
it  out.  There's  nothing  that  wins  its  way  like 
the  grace  of  sincerity.  You  see  I  give  promi- 
nent place  to  accent  and  diction.  Whatever 


174  Focal  Mastery 

fault  the  critics  found  with  me,  they  have  al- 
ways conceded  to  me  both  these  virtues. 

"But  time  passes  and  soon  the  work  of  the 
night  will  begin.  I  trust  that  our  informal 
conference  may  contain  a  few  points  of  per- 
sonal experience  which  may  be  helpful  to  those 
who  are  striving  to  enter  the  field  of  opera." 
And  with  his  pleasant  smile  and  genial  greet- 
ing, Mr.  Johnson  closed  the  conference. 


XVIII 

REINALD  WERRENRATH 

ACHIEVING  SUCCESS  ON  THE  CONCERT 
STAGE 

AT  the  close  of  a  recital  by  Reinald  Wer- 
renrath,  the  listener  feels  he  has  something  to 
carry  away,  a  tangible  impression,  a  real  mes- 
sage. What  is  the  impression — can  it  be  de- 
fined? Perhaps  it  is  more  the  complete  ef- 
fect as  a  whole  that  makes  the  deepest 
impression.  The  voice  is  always  agreeable,  the 
diction  so  clear  and  distinct  that  every  syllable 
can  be  followed  from  the  topmost  corner  of 
Carnegie  Hall,  so  there  is  no  need  to  print  a 
program  book  for  this  singer.  Different  quali- 
ties of  voice  render  the  picture  or  mood  more 
vivid,  and  all  is  accomplished  with  perfect  ease, 
in  itself  a  charm.  People  settle  in  their  seats 
as  if  certain  that  a  song  recital  by  Werren- 
rath  is  sure  to  bring  enjoyment  and  satisfac- 
tion. 

And  Mr.  Werrenrath  has  proven,  through 
season  after  season  of  concert  giving  in  Amer- 
ica, that  he  is  filling  his  own  special  niche  in 
the  scheme  of  the  country's  musical  life;  that 

175 


176  Focal  Mastery 

he  has  his  own  message  of  the  beautiful — the 
natural — in  vocal  art  to  deliver  to  the  people 
all  over  the  land,  and  he  is  accomplishing  this 
with  ever  increasing  ability  and  success. 

To  go  through  a  season  filled  with  concert 
tours,  such  as  a  popular  singer  has  laid  out  for 
him,  means  so  many  weeks  and  months  of 
strenuous  toil  and  travel.  There  may  be  a  few 
brief  hours  or  days  here  and  there,  when  he  can 
be  at  home  among  family  and  friends ;  but  soon 
he  is  off  again — "on  the  road." 

Mr.  Werrenrath  is  the  sort  of  singer  who 
is  generally  on  the  wing,  or  if  not  exactly  that, 
is  so  rushed  with  work,  record  making  and  re- 
hearsing for  occasional  opera  appearances,  that 
it  is  very  difficult  to  get  a  word  with  him.  I 
was  exceedingly  fortunate  however,  one  day 
recently,  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  him  between 
a  Metropolitan  rehearsal  on  the  one  hand,  and 
some  concert  business  on  the  other.  He  en- 
tered the  room  where  I  waited,  tall,  vigorous, 
his  fine  face  lighted  by  a  rapid  walk  in  the 
fresh  air;  he  seemed  the  embodiment  of  men- 
tal vigor  and  alertness. 

VOCAL   CONTROL 

I  plunged  at  once  into  the  subject  I  had 
come  for,  telling  him  I  wanted  to  know  how  he 


REIXAI.D  WERRENRATH 


Keinald  Werrenrath  177 

had  worked  to  bring  about  such  results  as  were 
noted  in  his  recent  recital  in  Carnegie  Hall; 
in  what  way  he  had  studied,  and  what,  in  his 
opinion,  were  the  most  important  factors,  from 
an  educational  point  of  view,  for  the  young 
singer  to  consider. 

"That  is  entirely  too  difficult  a  question  to 
be  answered  briefly,  even  in  a  half  hour,  or  in 
an  hour's  talk.  There  are  too  many  angles;" 
his  clear  gray  eyes  looked  at  me  frankly  as 
he  spoke.  "Voice  culture,  voice  mastery,  what 
is  it?  It  is  having  control  of  your  instru- 
ment to  such  an  extent  that  you  put  it  out  of 
your  thought  completely  when  you  sing.  The 
voice  is  your  servant  and  must  do  your  bid- 
ding. This  control  is  arrived  at  through  a 
variety  of  means,  and  can  be  considered  from 
a  thousand  angles,  any  one  of  which  would  be 
interesting  to  follow  up.  I  have  been  on  the 
concert  stage  for  nearly  a  score  of  years,  and 
ought  to  know  whereof  I  speak;  yet  I  can  say 
I  have  not  learned  it  all  even  now,  not  by  any 
means.  Vocal  technic  is  something  on  which 
you  are  always  working,  something  which  is 
never  completed,  something  which  is  con- 
stantly improving  with  your  mental  growth 
and  experience — if  you  are  working  along  the 
right  lines.  People  talk  of  finishing  their  vo- 


]78  Focal  Mastery 

cal  technic;  how  can  that  ever  be  done?  You 
are  always  learning  how  to  do  better.  If  you 
don't  make  the  effect  you  expected  to,  in  a 
certain  place,  when  singing  in  public,  you  take 
thought  of  it  afterward,  consider  what  was 
the  matter,  why  you  couldn't  put  it  over — why 
it  had  no  effect  on  the  audience.  Then  you 
work  on  it,  learn  how  to  correct  and  improve  it. 

EARLY   EXPERIENCES 

"As  you  may  know,  my  father  was  a  great 
singer;  he  was  my  first  teacher.  After  I  lost 
him  I  studied  for  several  years  with  Dr.  Carl 
Duft  and  later  with  Arthur  Mees.  In  all  this 
time  I  had  learned  a  great  deal  about  music 
from  the  intellectual  and  emotional  sides,  music 
in  the  abstract  and  so  on.  In  fact,  I  thought  I 
knew  about  all  there  was  to  be  learned  about 
the  art  of  song;  I  settled  back  on  my  oars  and 
let  the  matter  go  at  that.  At  last,  however, 
I  awoke  to  see  that  I  didn't  know  it  all  yet;  I 
discovered  I  couldn't  put  the  feeling  and  emo- 
tion which  surged  within  me  across  to  others 
in  the  way  I  wanted  to — in  the  way  which  could 
move  and  impress  them ;  I  could  not  make  the 
effects  I  wanted;  I  was  getting  into  a  rut. 
This  was  seven  years  ago.  At  that  time  I 
went  to  Percy  Rector  Stevens,  who  has  done 


Reinald   Werrenrath  179 

me  an  immense  amount  of  good,  and  with 
whom  I  constantly  keep  in  touch,  in  case  there 
should  be  anything  wrong  with  my  instrument 
anywhere.  Mr.  Stevens  understands  the 
mechanics  of  the  voice  perhaps  better  than  any 
one  I  know  of.  If  I  go  to  him  and  say:  'I 
made  some  tones  last  night  that  didn't  sound 
right  to  me,'  or  'I  couldn't  seem  to  put  over  this 
or  that  effect ;  I  want  you  to  tell  me  what  is  the 
matter.'  He  will  say :  'Sing  for  me,  show  me 
the  trouble  and  we'll  see  what  we  can  do  for 
it.'  So  I  sing  and  he  will  say:  'You  are 
tightening  your  throat  at  that  place,'  or  'your 
diaphragm  is  not  working  properly,'  or  there 
is  some  other  defect.  He  can  always  put  his 
ringer  directly  on  the  weak  spot.  He  is  my 
vocal  doctor.  Your  whole  vocal  apparatus 
must  work  together  in  entire  harmony.  We 
hear  of  teachers  who  seem  to  specialize  on  some 
one  part  of  the  anatomy  to  the  exclusion  of 
other  parts.  They  are  so  particular  about  the 
diaphragm,  for  instance;  that  must  be  held  with 
exactly  the  right  firmness  to  support  the  tone. 
That  is  all  very  well ;  but  what  about  the  chest, 
the  larynx,  the  throat,  the  head  and  all  the 
rest  of  the  anatomy?  The  truth  is  the  whole 
trunk  and  head  of  the  body  are  concerned  in 
the  act  of  tone  production ;  they  form  the  com- 


180  Focal  Mastery 

plete  instrument,  so  to  say.  When  the  singer 
is  well  and  strong  and  in  good  condition,  all 
the  parts  respond  and  do  their  work  easily  and 
efficiently. 

DAILY    PRACTICE 

"I  do  not  go  through  a  routine  of  scales  and 
exercises  daily — at  least  not  in  the  season,  for 
I  have  no  time.  If  you  are  going  to  take  your 
automobile  out  for  a  spin  you  don't  ride  it 
around  for  half  an  hour  in  the  yard  to  see 
whether  it  will  go.  No,  you  first  look  after 
the  machinery,  to  see  if  all  is  in  working  order, 
and  then  you  start  out,  knowing  it  will  go.  I 
do  a  lot  of  gymnastics  each  day,  to  exercise 
the  voice  and  limber  up  the  anatomy.  These 
act  as  a  massage  for  the  voice;  they  are  in  the 
nature  of  humming,  mingled  with  grunts,  calls, 
exclamations,  shouts,  and  many  kinds  of 
sounds — indeed  so  many  and  various  they  can- 
not be  enumerated.  But  they  put  the  voice 
in  condition,  so  there  is  no  need  for  all  these 
other  exercises  which  most  singers  find  so  es- 
sential to  their  vocal  well-being.  I  will  say 
right  here  that  I  am  working  with  two  masters ; 
the  first  for  the  mechanics  of  the  voice,  the  sec- 
ond who  helps  me  from  quite  an  opposite  angle 
— interpretation  and  finish. 


Reinald  Werrenrath  181 

WITH    MAUREL 

"The  master  from  whom  I  have  learned  so 
much  that  it  cannot  be  estimated  is  Victor 
Maurel.  He  is  a  most  remarkable  man,  a 
great  thinker  and  philosopher.  If  he  had 
turned  his  attention  to  any  other  art  or  science, 
or  if  he  had  been  but  a  day  laborer,  he  would 
be  a  great  man  anywhere,  in  any  capacity. 

"I  have  been  with  him,  whenever  possible, 
for  two  years  now.  He  has  shown  me  the 
philosophy,  the  psychology  of  singing.  He 
has  taught  me  the  science  of  intense  diction. 
By  means  of  such  diction,  I  can  sing  mezza 
voce,  and  put  it  over  with  less  effort  and  much 
more  artistic  effect  than  I  ever  used  to  do,  when 
I  employed  much  more  voice.  You  hear  it 
said  this  or  that  person  has  a  big  voice  and  can 
sing  with  great  power.  A  brass  band  can 
make  a  lot  of  noise.  I  have  stood  beside  men, 
who  in  a  smaller  space,  could  make  much  more 
noise  than  I  could.  But  when  they  got  out 
on  the  stage  you  couldn't  hear  them  at  the  back 
of  the  hall.  It  is  the  knowing  how  to  use  the 
voice  with  the  least  possible  effort,  coupled 
with  the  right  kind  of  diction,  that  will  make 
the  greatest  effect.  Xow  I  can  express  my- 
self, and  deliver  the  message  I  feel  I  have  to 
give. 


182  Vocal  Mastery 

THE   SINGER   BEFORE   AN   AUDIENCE 

"You  ask  if  I  hear  myself,  when  I  am  sing- 
ing for  an  audience.  In  a  general  way,  yes. 
Of  course  I  do  not  get  the  full  effect  of  what  I 
am  doing;  a  singer  never  does.  It  takes  the 
records  to  tell  me  that,  and  I  have  been  mak- 
ing records  for  a  good  number  of  years.  But 
I  know  the  sensations  which  accompany  cor- 
rect tone  production,  and  if  I  feel  they  are 
different  in  any  place  or  passage,  I  try  to  make 
a  mental  note  of  the  fact  and  the  passage,  that 
I  may  correct  it  afterwards.  But  I  must 
emphasize  the  point  that  when  I  sing,  I  cast 
away  all  thought  of  how  I  do  anything  techni- 
cal ;  I  want  to  get  away  from  the  mechanics  of 
the  voice;  I  must  keep  my  thought  clear  for 
the  interpretation,  for  the  message  I  have 
brought  to  the  audience.  To  be  constantly 
thinking — how  am  I  doing  this  or  that — would 
hamper  me  terribly.  I  should  never  get  any- 
where. I  must  have  my  vocal  apparatus  un- 
der such  control  that  it  goes  of  itself.  A  pian- 
ist does  not  think  of  technic  when  playing  in 
public,  neither  should  a  singer  think  of  his 
vocal  technic.  Of  course  there  may  be  occa- 
sions when  adverse  circumstances  thrust  condi- 
tions upon  me.  If  I  have  a  slight  cold,  or 


Rein  aid  Werrenrath  183 

tightness  of  throat,  I  have  to  bring  all  my  re- 
sources to  bear,  to  rise  above  the  seeming  handi- 
cap, and  sing  as  well  as  I  can  in  spite  of  it. 
I  can  say  gratefulty,  without  any  desire  to 
boast,  that  during  the  past  eleven  years,  I 
have  never  once  missed  an  engagement  or  dis- 
appointed an  audience.  Of  course  I  have  had 
to  keep  engagements  when  I  did  not  feel  in 
the  mood,  either  physically  or  mentally. 
Many  singers  would  have  refused  under  like 
conditions.  But  it  does  not  seem  fair  to  the 
audience  to  disappoint,  or  to  the  manager 
either;  it  puts  him  in  a  very  difficult  and  un- 
pleasant position.  It  seems  to  me  the  artist 
should  be  more  considerate  of  both  manager 
and  audience,  than  to  yield  to  a  slight  indisposi- 
tion and  so  break  his  engagement. 

THE   SINGER   IN    HIS   STUDIO 

"It  makes  such  a  difference — in  quality  of 
tone  and  in  effect — whether  you  sing  in  a  small 
or  large  space.  Things  you  do  in  the  studio 
and  which  may  sound  well  there,  are  quite  dif- 
ferent or  are  lost  altogether  in  a  large  hall. 
You  really  cannot  tell  what  the  effect  will  be 
in  a  great  space,  by  what  you  do  in  your  studio. 
In  rehearsing  and  study,  I  use  half  voice,  and 
only  occasionally  do  I  use  full  voice,  that  is 


184  Vocal  Mastery 

when  I  wish  to  get  a  better  idea  of  the  ef- 
fect." 

VOCAL   MASTERY 

As  we  stood  at  the  close  of  the  conference, 
I  asked  the  supreme  question — What  do  you 
understand  by  Vocal  Mastery?  The  artist 
looked  as  though  I  were  making  an  impossible 
demand  in  requiring  an  answer  to  so  compre- 
hensive a  subject.  He  took  a  few  strides  and 
then  came  back. 

"I  can  answer  that  question  with  one  word 
—Disregard.  Which  means,  that  if  you  have 
such  control  of  your  anatomy,  such  command 
of  your  vocal  resources  that  they  will  always 
do  their  work,  that  they  can  be  depended  upon 
to  act  perfectly,  then  you  can  disregard 
mechanism,  and  think  only  of  the  interpreta- 
tion— only  of  your  vocal  message.  Then  you 
have  conquered  the  material — then  you  have 
attained  Vocal  Mastery!" 


XIX 
SOPHIE  BRASLAU 

MAKING  A  CAREER  IN  AMERICA 

A  FACT,  often  overlooked  when  considering 
the  career  of  some  of  our  great  singers  of  to- 
day, is  the  fact  that  they  started  out  to  be- 
come an  instrumentalist  rather  than  a  singer. 
In  other  words  they  become  proficient  on  some 
instrument  before  taking  up  serious  study  of 
the  voice.  In  this  connection  one  thinks  of 
Mme.  Sembrich,  who  was  both  pianist  and  vio- 
linist before  becoming  known  as  a  singer.  It 
would  be  interesting  to  follow  up  this  idea 
and  enumerate  the  vocalists  who  have  broad- 
ened their  musicianship  through  the  study  of 
other  instruments  than  their  own  voices.  But 
this  delightful  task  must  be  reserved  for  fu- 
ture leisure.  For  the  present  it  can  be  set 
down  here  that  Miss  Sophie  Braslau,  probably 
the  youngest  star  in  the  constellation  of  the 
Metropolitan  artists,  is  an  accomplished  pian- 
ist, and  intended  to  make  her  career  with  the 
aid  of  that  instrument  instead  of  with  her  voice. 

185 


186  Vocal  Mastery 

But  we  will  let  the  young  artist  speak  for 
herself.  On  the  occasion  in  question,  she  had 
just  returned  from  a  walk,  her  arms  full  of 
rosebuds.  "I  never  can  resist  flowers,"  she 
remarked,  as  she  had  them  placed  in  a  big  silver 
vase.  Then  she  carried  the  visitor  off  to  her 
own  special  rooms,  whose  windows  overlooked 
an  inner  garden,  where  one  forgot  one  was  in 
the  heart  of  New  York.  "Indeed  it  is  not  like 
New  York  at  all,  rather  like  Paris,"  said  Miss 
Braslau,  answering  my  thought. 

On  a  chaise  lonyue  in  this  ivory  and  rose 
sanctum,  reposed  a  big,  beautiful  doll,  pre- 
served from  childish  days.  The  singer  took  it 
up;  "I  don't  play  with  it  now,"  she  said  with 
a  smile,  "but  I  used  to."  She  placed  it  care- 
fully in  a  chair,  then  settled  herself  to  talk. 

"Yes,  I  intended  to  make  the  piano  my  in- 
strument and  began  my  studies  at  the  age  of 
six.  Before  long  it  was  seen  that  I  had  some- 
thing of  a  voice,  but  no  one  gave  it  much 
thought,  supposing  I  was  to  be  a  pianist;  in- 
deed I  have  the  hand  of  one,"  holding  it  up. 
"I  don't  think,  in  those  early  years,  I  was  so 
very  anxious  to  become  a  player.  I  did  not 
love  scales — do  not  now,  and  would  quite  as 
soon  have  sat  at  the  piano  with  a  book  in 
iny  lap,  while  my  fingers  mechanically  did  their 


SOPHIE  BHASI.AU 


Sophie  Braslau  187 

stunts.  But  my  mother  looked  after  my  prac- 
tice, and  often  sat  near  me.  She  required  a 
regular  amount  of  time  given  to  music  study 
each  day.  I  am  so  grateful  that  she  was  strict 
with  me,  for  my  knowledge  of  piano  and  its 
literature  is  the  greatest  joy  to  me  now.  To 
my  thinking  all  children  should  have  piano  les- 
sons ;  the  cost  is  trifling  compared  to  the  bene- 
fits they  receive.  They  should  be  made  to 
study,  whether  they  wish  to  or  not.  They  are 
not  prepared  to  judge  what  is  good  for  them, 
and  if  they  are  given  this  advantage  they  will 
be  glad  of  it  later  on. 

"In  due  time  I  entered  the  Institute  of 
Musical  Art,  taking  the  full  piano  course. 
Arthur  Hochmann  was  my  teacher  for  piano, 
and  I  found  him  an  excellent  master.  He  did 
a  great  deal  for  me ;  in  interpretation,  in  fine- 
ness of  detail,  in  artistic  finish  I  owe  him  very 
much.  Later  I  studied  several  years  with 
Alexander  Lambert. 

"While  at  work  with  my  piano,  it  grew  more 
apparent  that  I  had  a  voice  that  should  be  cul- 
tivated. So  I  began.  Afterwards  I  worked 
three  years  with  Signer  Buzzi  Peccia,  who 
started  me  on  an  operatic  career  and  finally 
brought  me  to  the  Metropolitan. 

"It  was  a  great  ordeal  for  a  young  singer, 


188  Vocal  Mastery 

almost  a  beginner,  to  start  at  our  greatest 
Opera  House!  It  meant  unremitting  labor 
for  me.  I  worked  very  hard,  but  I  am  not 
afraid  of  work.  Toscanini  held  sway  when  I 
began,  and  he  was  a  marvelous  musician  and 
conductor.  Such  exactness,  such  perfection  of 
detail;  he  required  perfection  of  every  one. 
He  did  not  at  first  realize  how  much  of  a  be- 
ginner I  was,  though  I  had  really  learned  a 
large  number  of  roles.  He  was  so  strict  in 
every  detail  that  I  wept  many  bitter  tears  for 
fear  I  would  not  come  up  to  the  mark.  I 
knew  the  music,  but  had  not  gained  experi- 
ence through  routine.  It  seems  to  me  every 
singer  should  gain  this  experience  in  some 
smaller  places  before  attempting  the  highest. 
My  advice  would  be  to  go  and  get  experience 
in  Europe  first.  I  have  never  been  in  Ger- 
many, but  in  Italy  and  France  there  are  many 
small  opera  houses  where  one  may  learn  rou- 
tine. 

"Another  thing.  There  is  a  mistaken  no- 
tion that  one  cannot  reach  any  height  in  opera 
without  'pull'  and  great  influence.  I  am  sure 
this  is  not  true ;  for  while  a  pull  may  help,  one 
must  be  able  to  deliver  the  goods.  If  one  can- 
not, all  the  backing  in  the  world  will  not  make 
one  a  success.  The  singer  must  have  the  abil- 


Sophie  Braslan  180 

ity  to  'put  it  over.'  Think  of  the  artists  who 
can  do  it — Farrar,  Gluck,  Schumann-Heink. 
There  is  never  any  doubt  about  them ;  they  al- 
ways win  their  audiences.  What  I  have  done 
has  been  accomplished  by  hard  work,  without 
backing  of  any  kind.  Really  of  what  use  is 
backing  anyway?  The  public  can  judge — or 
at  least  it  can  feel.  I  know  very  well  that 
when  my  chance  came  to  sing  Shanewis,  if  I 
had  not  been  able  to  do  it,  no  amount  of  in- 
fluence would  have  helped  the  situation.  I 
had  it  in  my  own  hand  to  make  or  mar  my 
career.  I  often  wonder  whether  audiences 
really  know  anything  about  what  you  are  try- 
ing to  do ;  whether  they  have  any  conception  of 
what  is  right  in  singing,  or  whether  they  are 
merely  swayed  by  the  temperament  of  the 
singer. 

"Whether  we  are,  or  are  not  to  be  a  musical 
nation  should  be  a  question  of  deep  interest  to 
all  music  lovers.  If  we  really  become  a  great 
musical  people,  it  will  be  largely  due  to  the 
work  of  the  records.  We  certainly  have  won- 
derful advantages  here,  and  are  doing  a  tre- 
mendous lot  for  music. 

"I  had  an  interesting  experience  recently. 
It  was  in  a  little  town  in  Xorth  Carolina, 
where  a  song  recital  had  never  before  been 


190  Focal  Mastery 

given.  Can  you  fancy  a  place  where  there  had 
never  even  been  a  concert  ?  The  people  in  this 
little  town  were  husy  producing  tobacco  and 
had  never  turned  their  thought  toward  music. 
In  the  face  of  the  coming  concert  what  did 
those  people  do  ?  They  got  a  program,  studied 
what  pieces  I  had  sung  on  the  Victor,  got  the 
music  of  the  others ;  so  they  had  a  prett}r  good 
idea  of  what  I  was  going  to  sing.  When  I 
stepped  on  the  platform  that  night  and  saw  the 
little  upright  piano  (no  other  instrument  could 
be  secured)  and  looked  into  those  eager  faces, 
I  wondered  how  they  would  receive  my  work. 
My  first  number  was  an  aria  from  Orfeo. 
When  I  finished,  the  demonstration  was  so 
deafening  I  had  to  wait  minutes  before  I  could 
go  on.  And  so  it  continued  all  the  evening. 

"How  do  I  work?  Very  hard,  at  least  six 
hours  a  day.  Of  these  I  actually  sing  per- 
haps three  hours.  I  begin  at  nine  and  give 
the  first  hour  to  memory  work  on  repertoire. 
I  give  very  thorough  study  to  my  programs; 
for  I  must  know  every  note  in  them,  both  for 
voice  and  piano.  I  make  it  a  point  to  know 
the  accompaniments,  for  in  case  I  am  ever  left 
without  an  accompanist,  I  can  play  for  my- 
self, and  it  has  a  great  effect  on  audiences. 
They  may  not  know  or  care  whether  you  can 


Sophie  Braslau  191 

play  Beethoven  or  Chopin,  but  the  fact  that 
you  can  play  while  you  sing,  greatly  impresses 
them. 

"In  committing  a  song,  I  play  it  over  and 
sing  it  sufficiently  to  get  a  good  idea  of  its 
construction  and  meaning;  then  I  work  in  de- 
tail, learning  words  and  music  at  the  same 
time,  usually.  Certain  things  are  very  diffi- 
cult for  me,  things  requiring  absolute  even- 
ness of  passage  work,  or  sustained  calm.  Nat- 
urally I  have  an  excess  of  temperament ;  I  feel 
things  in  a  vivid,  passionate  way.  So  I  need 
to  go  very  slowly  at  times.  To-day  I  gave 
several  hours  to  only  three  lines  of  an  aria  by 
Haendel,  and  am  not  yet  satisfied  with  it.  In- 
deed, can  we  ever  rest  satisfied,  when  there  is 
so  much  to  learn,  and  we  can  always  improve  ? 

"The  second  hour  of  my  day  is  given  to 
vocalizes.  Of  course  there  are  certain  stand- 
ard things  that  one  must  do;  but  there  are 
others  that  need  not  be  done  every  day.  I 
try  to  vary  the  work  as  much  as  I  can. 

"The  rest  of  the  day  is  given  to  study  on 
repertoire  arid  all  the  things  that  belong  to  it. 
There  is  so  much  more  to  a  singer's  art  than 
merely  to  sing.  And  it  is  a  sad  thing  to  find 
that  so  many  singers  lack  musicianship.  They 
seem  to  think  if  they  can  sing  some  songs,  or 


192  Vocal  Mastery 

even  a  few  operas,  that  is  all  there  is  to  it. 
But  one  who  would  become  an  artist  must  work 
most  of  the  time.  I  am  sure  Charles  Hackett 
knows  the  value  of  work ;  so  does  Mabel  Garri- 
son and  many  other  Americans.  And  when 
you  think  of  it,  there  are  really  a  brave  number 
of  our  own  singers  who  are  not  only  making 
good,  but  making  big  names  for  themselves  and 
winning  the  success  that  comes  from  a  union  of 
talent  and  industry." 


XX 

MORGAN  KINGSTON 

THE  SPIRITUAL  SIDE  OF  THE  SINGER'S 
ART 

"A  MAN  who  has  risen  to  his  present  emi- 
nence through  determined  effort  and  hard 
work,  who  has  done  it  all  in  America,  is  a 
unique  figure  in  the  world  of  art.  He  can 
surely  give  much  valuable  information  to  stud- 
ents, for  he  has  been  through  so  much  him- 
self." Thus  I  was  informed  by  one  who  was 
in  a  position  to  understand  how  Morgan  King- 
ston had  achieved  success.  The  well  known 
tenor  was  most  kind  in  granting  an  audience 
to  one  seeking  light  on  his  ideas  and  experi- 
ences. He  welcomed  the  visitor  with  simple, 
sincere  courtesy,  and  discussed  for  an  hour  and 
a  half  various  aspects  of  the  singer's  art. 

"In  what  way  may  I  be  of  service  to  you?" 
began  Mr.  Kingston,  after  the  first  greetings 
had  been  exchanged. 

"There  are  many  questions  to  ask,"  was  the 
answer;  "perhaps  it  were  best  to  propound  the 
most  difficult  one  first,  instead  of  reserving  it 

193 


194  J'ocal  Mastery 

till  the  last.     What,  in  your  opinion,  goes  into 
the  acquiring  of  Vocal  Mastery?" 

"That  is  certainly  a  difficult  subject  to  take 
up,  for  vocal  mastery  includes  so  many  things. 
First  and  foremost  it  includes  vocal  technic. 
One  must  have  an  excellent  technic  before  one 
can  hope  to  sing  even  moderately  well.  The 
singer  can  do  nothing  without  technic,  though 
of  course  there  are  many  people  who  try  to 
sing  without  it.  They,  however,  never  get 
anywhere  when  hampered  by  such  a  lack  of 
equipment.  Technic  furnishes  the  tools  with 
which  the  singer  creates  his  vocal  art  work; 
just  as  the  painter's  brushes  enable  him  to  paint 
his  picture. 

RULES   OF   TECHNIC 

"I  said  the  singer  should  have  a  finished 
technic  in  order  to  express  the  musical  idea 
aright,  in  order  to  be  an  artist.  But  technic 
is  never  finished;  it  goes  on  developing  and 
broadening  as  we  ourselves  grow  and  develop. 
We  learn  by  degrees  what  to  add  on  and  what 
to  take  away,  in  our  effort  to  perfect  technic. 
Students,  especially  in  America,  are  too  apt 
to  depend  on  rules  merely.  They  think  if  they 
absolutely  follow  the  rules,  they  must  neces- 
sarily become  singers;  if  they  find  that  you 


MORGAN  KINGSTON- 


Morgan  Kingston  195 

deviate  from  rule  they  tell  you  of  it,  and  hold 
you  up  to  the  letter  of  the  law,  rather  than 
its  meaning  and  spirit.  I  answer,  rules  should 
be  guides,  not  tyrants.  Rules  are  necessary 
in  the  beginning;  later  we  get  beyond  them,— 
or  rather  we  work  out  their  spirit  and  are  not 
hide-bound  by  the  letter. 

EARLY   STRUGGLES 

"As  you  may  know,  I  was  born  in  Notting- 
hamshire, England.  I  always  sang,  as  a  small 
boy,  just  for  the  love  of  it,  never  dreaming  I 
would  one  day  make  it  my  profession.  In 
those  early  days  I  sang  in  the  little  church 
where  Lord  Byron  is  buried.  How  many 
times  I  have  walked  over  the  slab  which  lies 
above  his  vault.  When  I  was  old  enough  I 
went  to  work  in  the  mines,  so  you  see  I  know 
what  hardships  the  miners  endure;  I  know 
what  it  means  to  be  shut  away  from  the  sun  for 
so  many  hours  every  day.  And  I  would 
lighten  their  hardships  in  every  way  possible. 
I  am  sure,  if  it  rested  with  me,  to  choose  be- 
tween having  no  coal  unless  I  mined  it  myself, 
I  would  never  dig  a  single  particle.  But  this  is 
aside  from  the  subject  in  hand. 

"I  always  sang  for  the  love  of  singing,  and 
I  had  the  hope  that  some  day  I  could  do  some 


196  Focal  Mastery 

good  with  the  gift  which  the  good  God  had  be- 
stowed on  me.  Then,  one  day,  the  opportun- 
ity came  for  me  to  sing  in  a  concert  in  London. 
Up  to  that  time  I  had  never  had  a  vocal  lesson 
in  my  life;  my  singing  was  purely  a  natural 
product.  On  this  occasion  I  sang,  evidently 
with  some  little  success,  for  it  was  decided  that 
very  night  that  I  should  become  a  singer. 
Means  were  provided  for  both  lessons  and  liv- 
ing, and  I  now  gave  my  whole  time  and  at- 
tention toward  fitting  myself  for  my  new  call- 
ing. The  lady  who  played  my  accompani- 
ments at  that  concert  became  my  teacher. 
And  I  can  say,  with  gratitude  to  a  kind  Provi- 
dence, that  I  have  never  had,  nor  wished  to 
have  any  other.  When  I  hear  young  singers 
in  America  saying  they  have  been  to  Mr.  S.  to 
get  his  points,  then  they  will  go  to  Mr.  W.  to 
learn  his  point  of  view,  I  realize  afresh  that 
my  experience  has  been  quite  different  and  in- 
deed unique;  I  am  devoutly  thankful  it  has 
been  so. 

WHAT  THE  TEACHER   SHOULD   DO   FOR   THE 
STUDENT 

"My  teacher  made  a  study  of  me,  of  my 
characteristics,  mentality  and  temperament. 
That  should  be  the  business  of  every  real 


Morgan  Kingston  197 

teacher,    since    each    individual    has   different 
characteristics  from  every  other. 

"It  is  now  ten  years  since  I  began  to  study 
the  art  of  singing.  I  came  to  America  soon 
after  the  eventful  night  which  changed  my 
whole  career;  my  teacher  also  came  to  this 
country.  I  had  everything  to  learn;  I  could 
not  even  speak  my  own  language;  my  speech 
was  a  dialect  heard  in  that  part  of  the  coun- 
try where  I  was  brought  up.  I  have  had  to 
cultivate  and  refine  myself.  I  had  to  study 
other  languages,  Italian,  French  and  German. 
I  learned  them  all  in  America.  So  you  see 
there  is  no  need  for  an  American  to  go  out 
of  his  own  country  for  vocal  instruction  or  lan- 
guages ;  all  can  be  learned  right  here  at  home. 
I  am  a  living  proof  of  this.  What  I  have  done 
others  can  do. 

THE   TECHNICAL   SIDE 

"As  for  technical  material,  I  have  never 
used  a  great  quantity.  Of  course  I  do  scales 
and  vocalizes  for  a  short  time  each  day;  such 
things  are  always  kept  up.  Then  I  make 
daily  use  of  about  a  dozen  exercises  by  Rubini. 
Beyond  these  I  make  technical  studies  out  of 
the  pieces.  But,  after  one  has  made  a  certain 
amount  of  progress  on  the  technical  side,  one 


198  Focal  Mastery 

must  work  for  one's  self — I  mean  one  must 
work  on  one's  moral  nature. 

THE   MORAL   SIDE 

"I  believe  strongly  that  a  singer  cannot  ade- 
quately express  the  beautiful  and  pure  in  music 
while  cherishing  at  the  same  time,  a  bad  heart 
and  a  mean  nature  behind  it.  Singing  is  such 
a  personal  thing,  that  one's  mentality,  one's 
inner  nature,  is  bound  to  reveal  itself.  Each 
one  of  us  has  evil  tendencies  to  grapple  with, 
envy,  jealousy,  hatred,  sensuality  and  all  the 
rest  of  the  evils  we  are  apt  to  harbor.  If  we 
make  no  effort  to  control  these  natural  tenden- 
cies, they  will  permanently  injure  us,  as  well  as 
impair  the  voice,  and  vitiate  the  good  we  might 
do.  I  say  it  in  all  humility,  but  I  am  earnestly 
trying  to  conquer  the  errors  in  myself,  so  that 
I  may  be  able  to  do  some  good  with  my  voice. 
I  have  discovered  people  go  to  hear  music  when 
they  want  to  be  soothed  and  uplifted.  If  they 
desire  to  be  amused  and  enjoy  a  good  laugh, 
they  go  to  lio-ht  opera  or  vaudeville;  if  they 
want  a  soothing,  quieting  mental  refreshment, 
they  attend  a  concert,  opera  or  oratorio. 
Therefore  I  want  to  give  them,  when  I  sing, 
what  they  are  in  need  of,  what  they  are  long- 
ing for.  I  want  to  have  such  control  of  my- 


Morgan  Kingston  199 

self  that  I  shall  be  fitted  to  help  and  benefit 
every  person  in  the  audience  who  listens  to  me. 
Until  I  have  thus  prepared  myself,  I  am  not 
doing  my  whole  duty  to  myself,  to  my  art  or 
to  my  neighbor. 

"We  hear  about  the  petty  envy  and  jealousy 
in  the  profession,  and  it  is  true  they  seem  to  be 
very  real  at  times.  Picture  two  young  women 
singing  at  a  concert;  one  receives  much  atten- 
tion and  beautiful  flowers,  the  other — none  of 
these  things.  No  doubt  it  is  human  nature,  so- 
called,  for  the  neglected  one  to  feel  horribly 
jealous  of  the  favored  one.  Xow  this  feeling 
ought  to  be  conquered,  for  I  believe,  if  it  is 
not,  it  will  prevent  the  singer  making  beautiful, 
correct  tones,  or  from  voicing  the  beauty  and 
exaltation  of  the  music.  We  know  that  evil 
thoughts  react  on  the  body  and  result  in  dis- 
eases, which  prevent  the  singer  from  reaching  a 
high  point  of  excellence.  We  must  think  right 
thoughts  for  these  are  the  worth  while  things 
of  life.  Singing  teachers  utterly  fail  to  take 
the  moral  or  metaphysical  side  into  considera- 
tion in  their  teaching.  They  should  do  this 
and  doubtless  would,  did  they  but  realize  what 
a  large  place  right  thinking  occupies  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  singer. 

"One  could  name  various  artists  who  only 


200  Focal  Mastery 

consider  their  own  self-aggrandizement;  one 
is  compelled  to  realize  that,  with  such  low  aims, 
the  artist  is  bound  to  fall  short  of  highest 
achievement.  It  is  our  right  attitude  towards 
the  best  in  life  and  the  future,  that  is  of  real 
value  to  us.  How  often  people  greet  you  with 
the  words:  'Well,  how  is  the  world  treating 
you  to-day?'  Does  any  one  ever  say  to  you 
— 'How  are  you  treating  the  world  to-day?' 
That  is  the  real  thing  to  consider. 

"As  I  said  a  few  moments  ago,  I  have  stud- 
ied ten  years  on  vocal  technic  and  repertoire. 
I  have  not  ventured  to  say  so  before,  but  I 
say  it  to-night — I  can  sing!  Of  course  most 
of  the  operatic  tenor  roles  are  in  my  repertoire. 
This  season  I  am  engaged  for  fourteen  roles 
at  the  Metropolitan.  These  must  be  ready  to 
sing  on  demand,  that  is  at  a  moment's  notice, — 
or  say  two  hours'  notice.  That  means  some 
memory  work  as  well  as  constant  practice. 

"Would  I  rather  appear  in  opera,  recital 
or  oratorio?  I  like  them  all.  A  recital  pro- 
gram must  contain  at  least  a  dozen  songs, 
which  makes  it  as  long  as  a  leading  operatic 
role. 

"The  ten  years  just  passed,  filled  as  they 
have  been  with  close  study  and  public  work, 
I  consider  in  the  light  of  preparation.  The 


Morgan  Kingston  201 

following  ten  years  I  hope  to  devote  to  be- 
coming more  widely  known  in  various  coun- 
tries. And  then — "  a  pleasant  smile  flitted 
over  the  fine,  clean-cut  features, — "then  an- 
other ten  years  to  make  my  fortune.  But  I 
hasten  to  assure  you  the  monetary  side  is  quite 
secondary  to  the  great  desire  I  have  to  do  some 
good  with  the  talent  which  has  been  given  me. 
I  realize  more  and  more  each  day,  that  to  de- 
velop the  spiritual  nature  will  mean  happiness 
and  success  in  this  and  in  a  future  existence, 
and  this  is  worth  all  the  effort  and  striving  it 
costs." 


XXI 

FRIEDA  HEMPEL 

A  LESSON  WITH  A  PRIMA  DONNA 

THERE  is  no  need  to  say  that  Frieda  Hempel 
is  one  of  the  most  admired  artists  on  the  opera 
and  concert  stage  to-day.  Every  one  knows 
the  fact.  Miss  Hempel  has  endeared  herself 
to  all  through  her  lovely  voice,  her  use  of  it, 
her  charm  of  manner  and  the  sincerity  of  her 
art. 

It  is  seven  years  since  Miss  Hempel  first 
came  to  sing  at  the  Metropolitan.  America 
has  advanced  very  greatly  in  musical  apprecia- 
tion during  this  period.  Miss  Hempel  her- 
self has  grown  in  artistic  stature  with  each  new 
character  she  has  assumed.  This  season  she 
has  exchanged  the  opera  field  for  that  of  the 
concert  room,  to  the  regret  of  opera  patrons 
and  all  music  lovers,  who  desired  to  see  her  at 
the  Metropolitan.  Being  so  constantly  on  the 
wing,  it  has  been  extremely  difficult  to  secure 
a  word  with  the  admired  artist.  Late  one 
afternoon,  however,  toward  the  end  of  her  very 
successful  concert  season,  she  was  able  to  de- 

202 


!>//  Alfred  Cheneu  Johnston 

FRIEDA  HEMPET. 


Frieda  Hempel  203 

vote  an  hour  to  a  conference  with  the  writer  on 
the  principles  of  vocal  art. 

How  fair,  slender  and  girlish  she  looked, 
ensconced  among  the  cushions  of  a  comfortable 
divan  in  her  music  room,  with  a  favorite  pet 
dog  nestling  at  her  side. 

"And  you  ask  how  to  master  the  voice;  it 
seems  then,  I  am  to  give  a  vocal  lesson,"  she 
began,  with  an  arch  smile,  as  she  caressed  the 
little  creature  beside  her. 

BREATHING 

"The  very  first  thing  for  the  singer  to  con- 
sider is  breath  control;  always  the  breathing 
—the  breathing.  She  thinks  of  it  morning, 
noon  and  night.  Even  before  rising  in  the 
morning,  she  has  it  on  her  mind,  and  may  do 
a  few  little  stunts  while  still  reclining.  Then, 
before  beginning  her  vocal  technic  in  the  morn- 
ing, she  goes  through  a  series  of  breathing 
exercises.  Just  what  they  are  is  unnecessary 
to  indicate,  as  each  teacher  may  have  his  own, 
or  the  singer  has  learned  for  herself  what 
forms  are  most  beneficial. 

VOCAL   TECHNIC 

"The  pianist  before  the  public,  or  the  player 
who  hopes  to  master  the  instrument  in  the  fu- 


204  Focal  Mastery 

ture,  never  thinks  of  omitting  the  daily  task 
of  scales  and  exercises;  he  knows  that  his 
chances  for  success  would  soon  be  impaired, 
even  ruined,  if  he  should  neglect  this  important 
and  necessary  branch  of  study. 

"It  is  exactly  the  same  thing  with  the  singer. 
She  cannot  afford  to  do  without  scales  and  ex- 
ercises. If  she  should,  the  public  would  soon 
find  it  out.  She  must  be  in  constant  practice 
in  order  to  produce  her  tones  with  smooth- 
ness and  purity;  she  must  also  think  whether 
she  is  producing  them  with  ease.  There  should 
never  be  any  strain,  no  evidence  of  effort. 
Voice  production  must  always  seem  to  be  the 
easiest  thing  in  the  world.  No  audience  likes 
to  see  painful  effort  in  a  singer's  face  or 
throat. 

VOCAL   PRACTICE 

"The  young  singer  should  always  practice 
with  a  mirror — do  not  forget  that;  she  must 
look  pleasant  under  all  circumstances.  No 
one  cares  to  look  at  a  singer  who  makes  faces 
and  grimaces,  or  scowls  when  she  sings.  This 
applies  to  any  one,  young  or  older.  Singing 
must  always  seem  easy,  pleasant,  graceful,  at- 
tractive, winning.  This  must  be  the  mental 
concept,  and,  acted  upon,  the  singer  will  thus 
win  her  audience.  I  do  not  mean  that  one 


Frieda  Hempel  205 

should   cultivate  a  grin  when   singing;   that 
would  be  going  to  the  other  extreme. 

"Let  the  singer  also  use  a  watch  when  she 
practices,  in  order  not  to  overdo.  I  approve 
of  a  good  deal  of  technical  study,  taken  in  small 
doses  of  ten  to  fifteen  minutes  at  a  time.  I 
myself  do  about  two  hours  or  more,  though  not 
all  technic;  but  I  make  these  pauses  for  rest, 
so  that  I  am  not  fatigued.  After  all,  while 
we  must  have  technic,  there  is  so  much  more 
to  singing  than  its  technic.  Technic  is  indeed 
a  means  to  an  end,  more  in  the  art  of  song 
than  in  almost  any  other  form  of  art.  Technic 
is  the  background  for  expressive  singing,  and 
to  sing  expressively  is  what  every  one  should 
be  striving  for. 

WHAT   IT   MEANS  TO   BE   A   SINGER 

"A  beautiful  voice  is  a  gift  from  heaven,  but 
the  cultivation  of  it  rests  with  its  possessor. 
Here  in  America,  girls  do  not  realize  the 
amount  of  labor  and  sacrifice  involved,  or  they 
might  not  be  so  eager  to  enter  upon  a  career. 
They  are  too  much  taken  up  with  teas,  par- 
ties and  social  functions  to  have  sufficient  time 
to  devote  to  vocal  study  and  all  that  goes  with 
it.  There  are  many  other  things  to  study; 
some  piano  if  possible,  languages  of  course, 


206  Vocal  Mastery 

physical  culture  and  acting,  to  make  the  hody 
supple  and  graceful.  I  say  some  piano  should 
be  included,  at  least  enough  to  play  accom- 
paniments at  sight.  But  when  she  has  mas- 
tered her  song  or  role,  she  needs  an  accom- 
panist, for  she  can  never  play  the  music  as 
it  should  be  played  while  she  endeavors  to  in- 
terpret the  song  as  that  should  be  sung.  One 
cannot  do  complete  justice  to  both  at  the  same 
time. 

"In  order  to  study  all  the  subjects  required, 
the  girl  with  a  voice  must  be  willing  to  give 
most  of  her  day  to  the  work.  This  means  sac- 
rificing the  social  side  and  being  willing  to 
throw  herself  heart  and  soul  into  the  business 
of  adequately  preparing  for  her  career. 

AMERICAN   VOICES 

"I  find  there  are  quantities  of  lovely  voices 
here  in  America.  The  quality  of  the  Ameri- 
can female  voice  is  beautiful;  in  no  country 
is  it  finer,  not  even  in  Italy.  You  have  good 
teachers  here,  too.  Then  why  are  there  so  few 
American  singers  who  are  properly  prepared 
for  a  career?  Why  do  we  hear  of  so  few  who 
make  good  and  amount  to  something?  If  the 
girl  has  means  and  good  social  connections,  she 
is  often  not  ready  to  sacrifice  social  gayeties 


Frieda  Hempel  207 

for  the  austere  life  of  the  student.  If  she  is 
a  poor  girl,  she  frequenthr  cannot  afford  to 
take  up  the  subjects  necessary  for  her  higher 
development.  Instruction  is  expensive  here, 
and  training  for  opera  almost  impossible. 
The  operatic  coach  requires  a  goodly  fee  for 
his  services.  And  when  the  girl  has  prepared 
several  rcles  where  shall  she  find  the  opportun- 
ity to  try  them  out?  Inexperienced  singers 
cannot  be  accepted  at  the  Metropolitan;  that 
is  not  the  place  for  them.  At  the  prices 
charged  for  seats  the  management  cannot  af- 
ford to  engage  any  but  the  very  best  artists. 
Until  there  are  more  opera  houses  through- 
out the  country,  the  American  girl  will  still  be 
obliged  to  go  to  Europe  for  experience  and 
routine.  In  Europe  it  is  all  so  much  easier. 
Every  little  city  and  town  has  its  own  opera 
house,  where  regular  performances  are  given 
and  where  young  singers  can  try  their  wings 
and  gain  experience.  The  conductor  will 
often  help  and  coach  the  singer  and  never  ex- 
pect a  fee  for  it. 

THE   YOUNG   SINGER   BEFORE   AN   AUDIENCE 

"The  singer  who  wishes  to  make  a  career  in 
concert,  should  constantly  study  to  do  things 
easily  and  gracefully.  She  is  gracious  in  man- 


208  Focal  Mastery 

ner,  and  sings  to  the  people  as  though  it  gave 
her  personal  pleasure  to  stand  before  them. 
She  has  a  happy  expression  of  countenance; 
she  is  simple,  unaffected  and  sincere.  More 
than  all  this  her  singing  must  be  filled  with 
sentiment  and  soul;  it  must  be  deeply  felt  or 
it  will  not  touch  others.  Of  what  use  will  be 
the  most  elaborate  technic  in  the  world  if 
there  is  no  soul  back  of  it.  So  the  young 
singer  cultivates  this  power  of  expression, 
which  grows  with  constant  effort.  The  artist 
has  learned  to  share  her  gift  of  song  with  her 
audience,  and  sings  straight  across  into  the 
hearts  of  her  listeners.  The  less  experienced 
singer  profits  by  her  example. 

"Shall  the  singer  carry  her  music  in  a  song 
recital,  is  a  much  discussed  question.  Many 
come  on  with  nothing  in  hand.  What  then 
happens?  The  hands  are  clasped  in  supplica- 
tion, as  though  praying  for  help.  This  atti- 
tude becomes  somewhat  harrowing  when  held 
for  a  whole  program.  Other  singers  toy  with 
chain  or  fan,  movements  which  may  be  very  in- 
appropriate to  the  sentiment  of  the  song  they 
are  singing.  For  myself  I  prefer  to  hold  in 
hand  a  small  book  containing  the  words  of  my 
songs,  for  it  seems  to  be  more  graceful  and 
less  obtrusive  than  the  other  ways  I  have 


Frieda  Hemp  el  209 

mentioned.  I  never  refer  to  this  little  book, 
as  I  know  the  words  of  my  songs  backward; 
I  could  rise  in  the  middle  of  the  night  and  go 
through  the  program  without  a  glance  at  words 
or  music,  so  thoroughly  do  I  know  what  I  am 
singing.  Therefore  I  do  not  need  the  book 
of  words,  but  I  shall  always  carry  it,  no  mat- 
ter what  the  critics  may  say.  And  why  should 
not  the  executive  artist  reassure  himself  by 
having  his  music  with  him?  It  seems  to  me  a 
pianist  would  feel  so  much  more  certain  of 
himself  if  he  had  the  notes  before  him;  he  of 
course  need  not  look  at  them,  but  their  pres- 
ence would  take  away  the  fear  that  is  often  an 
obsession.  With  the  notes  at  hand  he  could 
let  himself  go,  give  free  reign  to  fancy,  with- 
out the  terrible  anxiety  he  must  often  feel. 

OPERA  OR   CONCERT 

"People  often  ask  whether  I  prefer  to  sing 
in  opera  or  concert.  I  always  answer,  I  love 
both.  I  enjoy  opera  for  many  reasons;  I 
love  the  concert  work,  and  I  am  also  very 
fond  of  oratorio.  Of  course  in  the  opera  I  am 
necessarily  restrained;  I  can  never  be  Frieda 
Hempel,  I  must  always  be  some  one  else;  I 
must  always  think  of  the  others  who  are  play- 
ing with  me.  In  concert  I  can  be  myself  and 


210  Focal  Mastery 

express  myself.  I  get  near  the  people;  they 
are  my  friends  and  I  am  theirs.  I  am  much 
in  spirit  with  oratorio  also. 

COLORATURA   OR  DRAMATIC 

"Do  I  think  the  coloratura  voice  will  ever 
become  dramatic?  It  depends  on  the  qual- 
ity of  the  voice.  I  think  every  dramatic  singer 
should  cultivate  coloratura  to  some  extent — 
should  study  smooth  legato  scales  and  pass- 
ages. To  listen  to  some  of  the  dramatic  roles 
of  to-day,  one  would  think  that  smooth  legato 
singing  was  a  lost  art.  Nothing  can  take  its 
place,  however,  and  singers  should  realize  this 
fact." 

Miss  Hempel  believes  that  every  singer,  no 
matter  how  great,  should  realize  the  advantage 
of  constant  advice  from  a  capable  teacher,  in 
order  to  prevent  the  forming  of  undesirable 
habits.  She  also  considers  Vocal  Mastery  im- 
plies the  perfection  of  everything  connected 
with  singing ;  that  is  to  say,  perfect  breath  con- 
trol, perfect  placement  of  the  voice,  perfect 
tone  production,  together  with  all  requisite 
grace,  feeling  and  expressiveness. 


WITH  THE  MASTER  TEACHERS 


XXII 

DAVID  BISPHAM 
THE  MAKING  OF  AETIST  5IXGEXS 

IF  we  were  asked  to  name  one  of  the  best 
known,  and  best  loved  of  American  angers,  the 
choice  would  surely  fall  on  David 
This  artist,  through  his  vocaL  Jingoistic 
histrionic  gifts,  his  serious  aims 
has  endeared  himself  to  musieiam 
lovers  alike.  We  are  afl  proud  of 
American,  and  take  a  sort  of  personal  pride  in 
his  achievements. 

Mr.  BispLam  has  been  before  the  r"Mt^  as 
actor-singer  for  many  years.  There  is  no 
other  artist  in  the  Fjigldb  speaking  world  who 
has  had  greater  experience  in  all  kinds  of 
vocal  work  than 
calls  himself,  for  he 
and  is  of  old  English,  Quaker,  Colonial  stock. 
His  professional 

in  1891.  with  the  Royal  F.ngtkh  Open 
pany,  as  the  Due  De  T  III^IB  liii   in  tike 
tif ul  Opera  Comique,  The  ttmtoekf,  by  Mes- 
sager.     The  following  year  he  appeared  in 

213* 


214  Focal  Mastery 

Wagnerian  Music  Drama  at  the  Royal  Opera, 
Covent  Garden,  performing  the  part  of  Kur- 
wenal,  in  Tristan  and  Isolde,  without  re- 
hearsal. His  adaptability  to  music  in  English, 
French,  Italian  and  German,  caused  him  to  be 
at  once  accepted  as  a  member  of  that  distin- 
guished company. 

In  1896,  Mr.  Bispham  joined  the  forces  of 
the  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  New  York, 
and  remained  there  for  a  number  of  years, 
singing  each  season  alternately  on  both  sides 
of  the  ocean.  Of  recent  years  he  has  devoted 
most  of  his  time  to  concerts,  though  he  is  one 
of  the  founders  and  officers  of  the  Society  of 
American  Singers,  with  which  artistic  body 
he  frequently  appears  in  the  classic  operas  of 
Mozart,  Pergolesi,  Donizetti  and  others. 

My  first  conference  with  Mr.  Bispham  was 
held  in  his  New  York  studio.  Here,  in  this 
artistic  retreat  where  absolute  quiet  reigns, 
though  located  in  the  heart  of  the  great  city's 
busy  life,  the  noted  singer  teaches  and  works 
out  his  programs  and  various  characteriza- 
tions. 

THE   PROBLEM   OF   BREATH   CONTROL 

"The  singer  should  breathe  as  easily  and 
naturally  as  animals  and  people  do  when  they 


David  Bispham  215 

sleep,"  he  began.  "But  we  are  awake  when 
we  sing;  correct  breath  control,  therefore,  must 
be  carefully  studied,  and  is  the  result  of  un- 
derstanding and  experience.  The  best  art  con- 
ceals art.  The  aim  is  to  produce  tones  with 
the  utmost  ease  and  naturalness,  though  these 
must  be  gained  with  patient  toil.  A  child  pat- 
ting the  keyboard  with  his  tiny  hands,  is  un- 
consciously natural  and  at  ease,  though  he  does 
not  know  what  he  is  doing;  the  great  pianist 
is  consciously  at  ease  because  he  understands 
principles  of  ease  and  relaxation,  and  has  ac- 
quired the  necessary  control  through  years  of 
training. 

"The  singer  acquires  management  of  the 
breath  through  correct  position  and  action  of 
his  anatomy.  The  body  is  held  erect,  chest 
active;  the  network  of  abdominal  muscles  con- 
stantly gain  strength  as  they  learn  to  push, 
push,  push  the  air  up  through  the  lungs  to  the 
windpipe,  then  through  the  mouth  and  nasal 
cavities."  Mr.  Bispham  illustrated  each  point 
in  his  own  person  as  he  described  it. 

"When  the  manner  of  taking  breath,  and  the 
way  to  develop  the  diaphragm  and  abdominal 
muscles,  is  understood,  that  is  only  a  begin- 
ning. Management  of  the  breath  is  an  art  in 
itself.  The  singer  must  know  what  to  do  with 


216  Focal  Mastery 

the  breath  once  he  has  taken  it  in,  or  he  may  let 
it  out  in  quarts  the  moment  he  opens  his  mouth. 
He  has  to  learn  how  much  he  needs  for  each 
phrase.  He  learns  how  to  conserve  the  breath ; 
and  while  it  is  not  desirable  to  hold  one  tone 
to  attenuation,  that  the  gallery  may  gasp  with 
astonishment,  as  some  singers  do,  yet  it  is  well 
to  learn  to  do  all  one  conveniently  can  with  one 
inhalation,  provided  the  phrase  permits  it. 

TECHNICAL   MATERIAL 

"I  give  many  vocalizes  and  exercises,  which 
I  invent  to  fit  the  needs  of  each  pupil.  I  do 
not  require  them  to  be  written  down,  simply 
remembered.  At  the  next  lesson  quite  a  dif- 
ferent set  of  exercises  may  be  recommended. 
I  also  make  exercises  out  of  familiar  tunes  or 
themes  from  operatic  airs.  It  will  be  found 
that  technical  material  in  the  various  manuals 
is  often  chosen  from  such  sources,  so  why  not 
use  them  in  their  original  form.  Thus  while 
the  student  is  studying  technic  he  is  also  ac- 
quiring much  beautiful  material,  which  will  be 
of  great  value  to  him  later  on. 

THE   STUDY   OF   REPERTOIRE 

"Repertoire  is  a  wide  subject  and  offers  a 
fascinating  study  to  the  vocal  student.  He 


David  Bispham  217 

must  have  both  imagination  and  sentiment,  also 
the  ability  to  portray,  through  movement  and 
facial  expression,  the  various  moods  and  states 
of  feeling  indicated  by  words  and  music. 

"In  taking  up  a  new  roLe,  I  read  the  story 
to  get  at  the  kernel  or  plot,  and  see  what  it 
means.  The  composer  first  saw  the  words  of 
poem  or  libretto,  and  these  suggested  to  him 
suitable  music.  So  the  singer  begins  his  work 
by  carefully  reading  the  words. 

"I  then  ha,ve  the  music  of  the  whole  work 
played  for  me  on  the  piano,  so  as  to  discover 
its  trend  and  meaning — its  content.  If  the 
composer  is  available  I  ask  him  to  do  this. 
I  next  begin  to  study  my  own  part  in  detail, 
not  only  the  important  sections  but  the  little 
bits,  which  seem  so  small,  but  are  often  so  dif- 
ficult to  remember." 

CHARACTERIZATION 

Under  this  head  the  singer  spoke  at  length 
of  the  difficulty  some  singers  encounter  when 
they  endeavor  to  portray  character,  or  differ- 
entiate emotions.  There  is  endless  scope  in 
this  line,  to  exercise  intelligence  and  imagina- 
tion. 

"Some  singers,"  continued  the  artist,  "seem 
incapable  of  characterizing  a  role  or  song. 


218  Focal  Mastery 

They  can  do  what  I  call  'flat  work,'  but  can- 
not individualize  a  role.  A  singer  may  have  a 
beautiful  voice  yet  not  be  temperamental;  he 
may  have  no  gift  for  acting,  nor  be  able  to 
do  character  work. 

"At  the  present  moment  I  am  preparing 
several  new  roles,  three  of  them  are  of  old  men. 
It  rests  with  me  to  externalize  these  three  in 
such  a  way  that  they  shall  all  be  different,  yet 
consistent  with  the  characters  as  I  understand 
them.  Each  make-up  must  be  distinctive,  and 
my  work  is  to  portray  the  parts  as  I  see  and 
feel  them.  I  must  get  into  the  skin  of  each 
character,  so  to  say,  then  act  as  I  conceive  that 
particular  person  would  behave  under  like  cir- 
cumstances. Many  singers  cannot  act,  and 
most  actors  cannot  sing.  When  the  two  are 
combined  we  have  a  singing  actor,  or  an  actor- 
singer.  Once  there  was  a  popular  belief  that 
it  was  not  necessary  for  the  singer  to  know7 
much  about  acting — if  he  only  had  a  voice  and 
could  sing.  The  present  is  changing  all  that. 
Many  of  us  realize  how  very  much  study  is 
required  to  perfect  this  side  of  our  art. 

"In  this  connection  I  am  reminded  of  my 
London  debut.  I  was  to  make  it  with  the 
Royal  English  Opera  Company.  They  heard 
me  three  times  before  deciding  to  take  me  on. 


David  Bispham  219 

With  this  formality  over,  rehearsals  began. 
I  soon  found  that  my  ideas  of  how  my  role 
—an  important  one — was  to  be  acted,  did  not 
always  coincide  with  the  views  of  the  stage 
director,  and  there  were  ructions.  The  man- 
ager saw  how  things  were  going,  and  advised 
me  to  accept  seemingly  the  ideas  of  the  stage 
director  during  rehearsals,  but  to  study  act- 
ing with  the  highest  authorities  and  then  work 
out  the  conception  after  my  own  ideas.  Ac- 
cordingly, I  spent  an  hour  daily,  before  the 
morning  rehearsal,  with  one  of  the  finest  actors 
of  comedy  to  be  found  in  London.  Later  in 
the  day,  after  rehearsal,  I  spent  another  hour 
with  a  great  tragic  actor.  Thus  I  worked  in 
both  lines,  as  my  part  was  a  mixture  of  the 
tragic  and  the  comic.  I  put  in  several  weeks 
of  very  hard  work  in  this  way,  and  felt  I  had 
gained  greatly.  Of  course  this  was  entirely 
on  the  histrionic  side,  but  it  gives  an  idea  of  the 
preparation  one  needs. 

"When  the  day  of  the  dress  rehearsal  ar- 
rived, I  appeared  on  the  scene  in  full  regalia, 
clean  shaven  ( I  had  been  wearing  a  beard  un- 
til then) ,  and  performed  my  role  as  I  had  con- 
ceived it,  regardless  of  the  peculiar  ideas  of 
the  stage  director.  At  the  first  performance 
I  made  a  hit,  and  a  little  later  was  engaged  for 


220  Focal  Mastery 

grand  opera  at  Covent  Garden,  where  I  re- 
mained for  ten  years. 

KNOWLEDGE  OF  ANATOMY 

"While  I  believe  in  understanding  one's 
anatomy  sufficiently  for  proper  tone  produc- 
tion, and  all  that  goes  with  it,  there  are  many 
peculiar  and  unnecessary  fads  and  tricks  re- 
sorted to  by  those  who  call  themselves  teachers 
of  singing.  The  more  fantastic  the  theories 
inculcated  by  these  people,  the  more  the  un- 
wary students  seem  to  believe  in  them.  Peo- 
ple like  to  be  deluded,  you  know.  But  I  am 
not  able  to  gratify  their  desires  in  this  direc- 
tion; for  I  can't  lie  about  music! 

"I  was  present  at  a  vocal  lesson  given  by 
one  of  these  so-called  instructors.  'You  must 
sing  in  such  a  way  that  the  tone  will  seem 
to  come  out  of  the  back  of  your  head,'  he  told 
the  pupil,  and  he  waved  his  arms  about  his 
head  as  though  he  were  drawing  the  tone  out 
visibly.  Another  pupil  was  placed  flat  on  his 
back,  then  told  to  breathe  as  though  he  were 
asleep,  and  then  had  to  sing  in  that  position. 
Another  teacher  I  know  of  makes  pupils  eject 
spit-balls  of  tissue  paper  at  the  ceiling,  to 
learn  the  alleged  proper  control  of  the  breath. 
What  criminal  nonsense  this  is! 


David  Bispham  221 

"As  I  have  said,  I  believe  in  knowing  what 
is  necessary  about  anatomy,  but  not  in  too 
great  measure.  A  new  book  will  soon  be  is- 
sued, I  am  told,  which  actually  dissects  the 
human  body,  showing  every  bone  and  muscle 
in  any  way  connected  writh  breath  or  voice. 
All  this  may  be  of  interest  as  a  matter  of  re- 
search, but  must  one  go  into  such  minutiae  in 
order  to  teach  singing?  I  think  the  answer 
must  ever  be  in  the  negative.  You  might  as 
well  talk  to  a  gold-fish  in  a  bowl-  and  say: 
'If  you  desire  to  proceed  laterally  to  the 
right,  kindly  oscillate  gently  your  sinister  dor- 
sal fin,  and  you  will  achieve  the  desired  result.' 
Oh,  Art,  what  sins  are  committed  in  thy 
name!" 

IN   THE   STUDIO 

It  is  often  affirmed  that  an  artist  finds  ex- 
perience the  best  teacher.  It  must  be  equally 
true  that  the  artist-teacher  of  wide  experience 
in  both  performance  and  instruction,  should  be 
a  safe  guide,  just  because  of  this  varied  expe- 
rience. 

I  was  impressed  with  this  fact  when  I  re- 
cently had  the  privilege  of  visiting  Mr.  Bis- 
pham's  studio  during  lesson  hours,  and  listen- 
ing to  his  instruction.  A  most  interesting 


222  Vocal  Mastery 

sanctum  is  this  studio,  filled  as  it  is  with  souv- 
enirs and  pictures  of  the  artist's  long  career 
on  the  operatic  stage.  Here  hangs  a  drawing 
in  color  of  Bispham  as  Telramund,  in  shining- 
chain  armor ;  there  a  life-size  portrait  as  "Bee- 
thoven," and  again  as  himself.  In  the  midst 
of  all  is  the  master,  seated  at  a  table.  In 
front  of  him,  at  the  piano,  stands  the  student. 
It  is  an  English  song  she  is  at  work  on,  for 
Mr.  Bispham  thoroughly  believes  in  mastering 
English  as  well  as  other  languages. 

How  alert  he  is  as  he  sits  there;  how  keen 
of  eye  and  ear.  Not  the  slightest  fault  escapes 
him.  He  often  sings  the  phrase  himself,  then 
calls  for  its  repetition. 

"Sing  that  passage  again;  there  is  a  tone  in 
it  that  is  not  pleasant — not  well-sounding; 
make  it  beautiful!"  "Careful  of  your  con- 
sonants there,  they  are  not  distinct;  let  them 
be  clearer,  but  don't  make  them  over  distinct." 
"Don't  scoop  up  the  ends  of  the  phrases;  make 
the  tones  this  way";  and  he  illustrates  repeat- 
edly. "Sing  this  phrase  in  one  breath  if  you 
can,  if  not,  breathe  here—  indicating  the 
place. 

The  student  now  takes  up  an  Italian  aria. 
Of  course  the  master  teacher  has  no  need  of 
printed  score;  he  knows  the  arias  by  heart. 


David  Bis  pit  am  223 

He  merely  jots  down  a  few  remarks  on  a 
slip  of  paper,  to  be  referred  to  later. 

The  aria  goes  quite  well.  At  its  close  the 
singer  goes  to  her  seat  and  another  takes  her 
place.  A  voice  of  rich,  warm  timbre.  More 
English — and  it  must  be  most  exact,  to  suit 
Mr.  Bispham's  fastidious  ear. 

"Make  the  word  fire  in  one  syllable,  not 
two.  Do  not  open  the  mouth  quite  so  wide 
on  the  word  desire,  for,  by  doing  so  you  lose 
the  balance  and  the  tone  is  not  so  good." 

VOCALIZES 

Another  student — with  a  fine  tenor — was 
asked  to  vocalize  for  a  number  of  minutes. 
He  sang  ascending  and  descending  tone-fig- 
ures, sometimes  doing  them  in  one  breath,  at 
others  taking  a  fresh  breath  at  top.  Some  of 
the  syllables  used  were:  la,  ma,  may,  and  mi. 
He,  then  sang  single  tones,  swelling  and  dimin- 
ishing each.  It  was  found  that  passing  from 
forte  to  piano  was  much  more  difficult  than 
swelling  from  soft  to  loud. 

The  aria  "Be  not  afraid,"  was  now  taken  up ; 
it  was  pronounced  one  of  the  most  difficult  solos 
ever  written,  and  a  very  valuable  composition 
for  vocal  training. 

"You  sing  that  phrase  too  loud,"  cautioned 


224  Vocal  Mastery 

the  instructor.  "This  is  not  a  human  being 
who  is  speaking,  rather  it  is  a  heavenly  voice. 
That  high  note  of  the  phrase  should  be  made 
softer,  more  ethereal.  Make  it  a  young  tone 
— put  the  quality  of  Spring  into  it.  The 
whole  thing  should  be  more  spiritual  or  spir- 
itualized. Now  go  through  it  again  from  be- 
ginning to  end." 

When  this  was  finished  a  halt  was  called; 
there  had  been  enough  work  done  for  that  day. 
Soon  the  class  was  dismissed.  The  young 
singers — some  if  not  all  of  them  known  upon 
the  concert  stage — filed  out.  One  young 
woman  remained ;  she  was  to  have  a  drama  les- 
son. The  master  of  singing  showed  himself 
equally  efficient  as  master  of  English  diction 
for  the  spoken  drama. 

And  here,  for  a  time,  we  must  leave  him  at 
his  work. 


XXIII 

OSCAR  SAENGER 

USE  OF  RECORDS  IN  VOCAL  STUDY 

MR.  OSCAR  SAENGER  has  been  termed 
"maker  of  artists,"  since  a  number  of  our  great 
singers  have  come  from  under  his  capable 
hands.  He  has  a  rare  gift  for  imparting  in- 
struction in  a  way  that  is  concise  and  convinc- 
ing. A  man  of  wide  experience,  profound 
knowledge  of  his  subject,  commanding  person- 
ality and  winning  courtesy,  he  impresses  all 
who  come  within  his  radius  that  he  knows 
whereof  he  speaks.  A  man  who  "knows  what 
he  knows"  is  one  to  be  followed. 

Mr.  Saenger  had  just  returned  from  a  sea- 
son of  travel  over  America  as  far  as  the  Coast. 
A  most  profitable  trip  he  called  it,  filled  with 
many  interesting  and  unique  experiences.  He 
had  been  lecturing  also,  in  a  number  of  cities, 
on  his  new  method  of  vocal  study  with  the  aid 
of  the  Victor  Talking  Machine.  When  he 
learned  I  had  come  expressly  to  ask  for  his 
ideas  on  vocal  technic  and  study,  he  said: 

"I  think  you  will  be  interested  to  hear  about 

225 


226  Vocal  Mastery 

my  latest  hobby,  the  study  of  singing  with  the 
aid  of  records."  Then  he  plunged  at  once  into 
the  most  absorbingly  interesting  account  of  his 
ideas  and  achievements  in  this  line  I  had  ever 
listened  to. 

TEACHER,    ARTIST    AND    ACCOMPANIST    IN    ONE 

"This  is  my  own  idea,  of  combining  the 
teacher,  artist  and  accompanist  in  one  trinity," 
he  began.  "And,  by  the  way,  my  idea  is  now 
patented  in  Washington.  It  is  the  result  of 
nine  years'  thought  and  labor,  before  the  idea 
could  be  brought  out  in  its  finished  form.  The 
design  has  been  to  make  the  method  and  its 
elucidation  so  simple  that  the  girl  from  a  small 
town  can  understand  it. 

"The  method  consists  of  twenty  lessons  for 
each  of  the  five  kinds  of  voices:  Soprano, 
Mezzo-Soprano,  Tenor,  Baritone  and  Bass. 
Each  portfolio  holds  twenty  records,  together 
with  a  book  containing  minute  directions  for 
studying  and  using  the  records.  I  believe  that 
any  one,  with  good  intelligence,  who  wishes  to 
learn  to  sing,  can  take  the  book  and  records 
and  begin  his  studies,  even  though  he  has  never 
sung  before.  He  can  thus  prepare  himself  for 
future  lessons.  For  you  must  understand  this 
method  is  not  meant  to  replace  the  teacher,  but 


Oscar  Saenycr  227 

to  aid  the  teacher.  I  can  assure  you  it  aids 
him  in  ways  without  number.  It  gives  him  a 
perfect  exemplar  to  illustrate  his  principles. 
If  he  be  fatigued,  or  unable  to  sing  the  passage 
in  question,  here  is  an  artist  who  is  never 
wearied,  who  is  always  ready  to  do  it  for  him. 
I  myself  constantly  use  the  records  in  my  les- 
sons. If  I  have  taught  a  number  of  consecu- 
tive hours,  it  is  a  relief  to  turn  to  the  artist's 
record  and  save  my  own  voice. 

SIMPLICITY 

"As  I  have  said,  the  design  has  been  to  make 
everything  plain  and  simple.  I  wrote  the  book 
and  sent  it  to  the  Victor  people.  They  re- 
turned it,  saying  I  had  written  an  excellent 
book,  but  it  was  not  simple  enough.  They 
proposed  sending  a  man  to  me  who  was  neither 
a  musician  nor  a  singer.  If  I  could  make  my 
meaning  clear  enough  for  him  to  understand, 
it  was  likely  the  girl  from  a  little  Western  town 
could  grasp  it. 

"So  this  man  came  and  we  worked  together. 
If  I  talked  about  head  tones,  he  wanted  to 
know  what  I  meant;  if  about  throaty  tones,  I 
had  to  make  these  clear  to  him.  When  he  un- 
derstood, I  was  sure  any  one  could  understand. 

"Thus  the  books  as  they  stand  came  into 


228  Focal  Mastery 

being.  The  records  themselves  represent  an 
immense  amount  of  care  and  effort.  Will  you 
believe  we  had  to  make  over  two  thousand  in 
order  to  secure  the  one  hundred  needed  for 
the  present  series  ?  The  slightest  imperfection 
is  enough  to  render  an  otherwise  perfect  record 
useless.  Even  the  artists  themselves  would 
sometimes  become  discouraged  at  the  enormous 
difficulties.  It  is  nerve-racking  work,  for  one 
must  be  on  tension  all  the  time. 

IMITATION    A    FUNDAMENTAL    PRINCIPLE 

"If  you  are  interested,  I  will  go  a  little  more 
into  detail.  The  main  idea  of  this  unique 
method  of  study,  is  imitation.  Every  human 
being  likes  to  imitate — from  the  tiny  child  to 
the  adult.  Acting  upon  this  idea,  we  take  the 
artist  as  model.  Everything  the  model  does, 
the  student  strives  to  imitate.  By  means  of 
the  record,  it  is  possible  for  the  student  to  do 
this  over  and  over  again,  until  he  has  learned 
to  copy  it  as  accurately  as  it  is  possible.  And 
here  is  where  the  knowledge  and  experience  of 
the  teacher  come  in.  During  the  lesson  he 
tests  each  tone,  each  phrase,  advising  the  pupil 
how  nearly  he  approaches  the  perfect  model, 
or  showing  him  his  faults  and  why  he  does  not 
succeed  in  imitating  the  model  more  correctly." 


Oscar  Saenger  229 

FOR   BEGINNERS 

"Do  you  mean  to  say,  Mr.  Saenger,  that  this 
method  of  vocal  study  can  be  taken  up  by  one 
who  knows  really  nothing  of  the  voice,  or  sing- 
ing, and  can  be  used  with  success;  that  such  a 
person  can  become  a  singer  through  self- 
study?" 

"It  is  indeed  possible,"  was  the  answer;  "and 
it  is  being  done  every  day.  If  the  student  has 
much  intelligence,  determination  and  concen- 
tration, she  can  learn  to  sing  from  these  direc- 
tions and  these  records.  They  are  a  great 
boon  to  young  aspirants  in  small  towns,  where 
there  are  really  no  good  teachers.  In  such 
places  local  teachers  can  study  and  teach  from 
these  records. 

"Again,  you  often  find  people  too  shy,  or  too 
ashamed  to  go  to  a  teacher  for  a  voice  trial  or 
lessons.  They  want  to  sing — every  one  would 
like  to  do  that ;  but  they  don't  know  how  to  go 
at  it.  With  these  records  they  can  begin  to 
study,  and  thus  get  ready  for  later  lessons. 
With  these  records  those  who  are  far  from  a 
music  center  can  have  the  benefit  of  expert  in- 
struction at  small  cost.  I  might  work  with  a 
pupil  for  several  months  in  the  ordinary  way— 
without  the  records — and  not  be  able  to  teach 


230  Focal  Mastery 

him  even  with  half  the  accuracy  and  quickness 
obtainable  by  the  new  method. 


"All  singers  know  how  important,  how  nec- 
essary it  is  to  have  services  of  an  expert  accom- 
panist. The  student  of  this  method  has  one  at 
hand  every  hour  of  the  day;  a  tireless  accom- 
panist, who  is  willing  to  repeat  without  com- 
plaint, as  often  as  necessary. 

THE   SPEAKINb  VOICE 

"A  very  important  branch  of  the  work,  for 
the  would-be  singer,  is  to  cultivate  the  speak- 
ing voice.  Tones  in  speaking  should  always 
be  made  beautiful  and  resonant.  Even  in  chil- 
dren a  pleasant  quality  of  voice  in  speaking  can 
be  acquired.  Mothers  and  teachers  can  be 
trained  to  know  and  produce  beautiful  tones. 
The  ear  must  be  cultivated  to  know  a  pure, 
beautiful  tone  and  to  love  it. 

BREATHING   EXERCISES 

"The  management  of  the  breath  is  a  most 
important  factor,  as  the  life  of  the  tone  de- 
pends on  the  continuance  of  the  breath.  The 
student  must  cultivate  the  power  of  quickly  in- 
haling a  full  breath  and  of  exhaling  it  so  grad- 


Oscar  Saenger  231 

ually  that  she  can  sing  a  phrase  lasting  from 
ten  to  twenty  seconds.  This  needs  months  of 
arduous  practice.  In  all  breathing,  inhale 
through  the  nose.  The  lower  jaw  during  sing- 
ing should  be  entirely  relaxed. 

"The  tone  should  be  focused  just  back  of  the 
upper  front  teeth.  The  way  to  place  the  tone 
forward  is  to  think  it  forward.  The  student 
must  think  the  tone  into  place. 

"To  'attack'  a  tone  is  to  sing  it  at  once,  with- 
out any  scooping,  and  with  free  open  throat. 
When  the  throat  is  tightened  the  student  loses 
power  to  attack  her  tones  in  the  right  way. 

PHRASING 

"Phrasing,  in  a  limited  sense,  is  simply  musi- 
cal punctuation.  In  its  broader  sense  it  is  al- 
most synonymous  with  interpretation.  For  it 
has  to  do  not  only  with  musical  punctuation 
but  with  the  grouping  of  tones  and  words  in 
such  a  way  that  the  composition  is  rendered  in- 
telligible as  a  whole,  so  as  to  express  the  ideas 
of  the  composer.  This  is  where  the  intellec- 
tual and  musical  qualities  of  the  singer  are 
brought  into  requisition.  She  must  grasp  the 
content,  whether  it  be  song  or  aria,  in  order 
to  effect  this  grouping  intelligently.  Accent, 
crescendo  and  diminuendo  are  the  most  impor- 


232  Focal  Mastery 

tant  factors  in  phrasing.  From  the  very  be- 
ginning the  student  should  be  careful  how  and 
where  she  takes  breath  and  gives  accent;  there 
must  always  be  a  reason,  and  thought  will  gen- 
erally make  the  reason  clear. 

TONE   PRODUCTION 

"The  first  thing  to  be  considered  is  the  posi- 
tion of  the  body;  for  beauty  of  tone  cannot  be 
obtained  unless  all  efforts  harmonize  to  pro- 
duce the  desired  result.  An  easy,  graceful, 
buoyant  position  is  essential;  it  can  be  culti- 
vated in  front  of  a  mirror,  from  the  first  lesson. 

"Tone  production  is  the  result  of  thought. 
Picture  to  yourself  a  beautiful  tone ;  sing  it  on 
the  vowel  Ah.  If  you  stood  in  rapture  before 
an  entrancing  scene  you  would  exclaim,  Ah, 
how  beautiful.  Producing  a  beautiful  tone 
rests  on  certain  conditions.  First,  breath  con- 
trol; Second,  Freedom  of  throat;  Third,  Cor- 
rect focus  of  tone. 

"We  know  that  a  stiff  jaw  and  tongue  are 
the  greatest  hindrances  to  the  emission  of  good 
tone.  Muscles  of  chin  and  tongue  must  be 
trained  to  become  relaxed  and  flexible.  Do 
not  stiffen  the  jaw  or  protrude  the  chin,  else 
your  appearance  will  be  painful  and  your  tones 
faulty. 


Oscar  Saenger  233 

"To  think  the  tone  forward  is  quite  as  impor- 
tant as  to  sing  it  forward.  Without  the  men- 
tal  impression  of  correct  placing,  the  reality 
cannot  exist.  It  is  much  better  to  think  the 
tone  forward  for  five  minutes  and  sing  one 
minute,  than  to  practice  the  reverse.  One 
should  practice  in  fifteen-minute  periods  and 
rest  at  least  ten  minutes  between.  The  stu- 
dent should  never  sing  more  than  two  hours  a 
day — one  in  the  morning  and  one  in  the  after- 
noon. As  most  singers  love  their  work,  many 
are  inclined  to  overdo. 

"Do  not  tamper  with  the  two  or  three  ex- 
treme upper  or  lower  tones  of  your  voice  lest 
you  strain  and  ruin  it  permanently.  Never 
practice  when  suffering  from  a  cold. 

"Ideal  attack  is  the  tone  which  starts  with- 
out any  scooping,  breathiness  or  explosiveness. 
Breathe  noiselessly,  the  secret  of  which  is  to 
breathe  from  down,  up.  Faulty  emissions  of 
tone  are:  nasal,  guttural,  throaty  and  tremu- 
lous. I  will  give  you  examples  of  all  these 
from  the  record  No.  33,  which  will  show  you 
first  the  fault  and  then  the  perfect  example. 
If  the  pupil  studies  these  perfect  emissions  of 
tone  and  tries  to  imitate  them,  there  is  no  need 
for  her  to  have  the  common  faults  mentioned. 


234  Focal  Mastery 

SUSTAINED   TONES 

"The  next  step  is  to  study  sustained  tones. 
As  you  see  the  artist  begins  in  the  middle  of 
her  voice — always  the  best  way — and  sings  a 
whole  tone  on  A,  with  the  syllable  Ah,  always 
waiting  a  whole  measure  for  the  pupil  to  imi- 
tate the  tone.  Next  she  sings  A  flat  and  so  on 
down  to  lower  A,  the  pupil  imitating  each  tone. 
She  now  returns  to  middle  A  and  ascends  by 
half  steps  to  E  natural,  the  pupil  copying  each 
tone  after  it  is  sung  by  the  artist. 

"The  tone  should  be  free,  round  and  full, 
but  not  loud,  and  the  aim  be  to  preserve  the 
same  quality  throughout.  Do  not  throw  or 
push  the  tone,  but  spin  it. 

UNITING   SEVERAL   TONES 

"We  first  begin  by  uniting  two  tones, 
smoothly  and  evenly,  then  three  in  the  same 
way.  After  each  pair  or  group  of  tones,  the 
accompaniment  is  repeated  and  the  pupil  imi- 
tates what  the  artist  has  just  sung.  Now 
comes  the  uniting  of  five  tones,  up  and  down; 
after  this  the  scale  of  one  octave.  The  scale 
should  be  sung  easily  with  moderate  tone  qual- 
ity. A  slight  accent  can  be  given  to  the  first 
and  last  tones  of  the  scale.  We  all  realize  the 


Oscar  Saenger  235 

scale  is  one  of  the  most  important  exercises  for 
the  building  of  the  voice;  the  preceding  exer- 
cises have  prepared  for  it. 

ARPEGGIOS 

"For  imparting  flexibility  to  the  voice,  noth- 
ing can  exceed  the  Arpeggio,  but  like  all  vocal 
exercises,  it  must  be  produced  with  precision  of 
tone,  singing  each  interval  clearly,  with  careful 
intonation,  always  striving  for  beauty  of  tone. 

"There  are  various  forms  of  arpeggios  to  be 
used.  The  second  form  is  carried  a  third 
above  the  octave ;  the  third  form  a  fifth  above. 
This  makes  an  exercise  which  employs  every 
tone  in  the  scale  save  one,  and  gives  practice  in 
rapid  breathing.  Remember,  that  the  note 
before,  taking  breath  is  slightly  shortened,  in 
order  to  give  time  for  taking  breath,  without 
disturbing  the  rhythm. 

THE   TRILL 

"The  trill  is  perhaps  the  most  difficult  of  all 
vocal  exercises,  unless  the  singer  is  blessed  with 
a  natural  trill,  which  is  a  rare  gift.  We  begin 
with  quarter  notes,  then  add  eighths  and  six- 
teenths. This  exercise,  if  practiced  daily,  will 
produce  the  desired  result.  It  is  taken  on  each 
tone  of  the  voice — trilling  in  major  seconds. 


236  Focal  Mastery 

VOCALIZES 

"The  purpose  of  vocalizes  is  to  place  and  fix 
the  voice  accurately  and  to  develop  taste,  while 
singing  rhythmically  and  elegantly.  The  rec- 
ords give  some  Concone  exercises,  ably  inter- 
preted by  one  of  our  best  known  voices.  You 
hear  how  even  and  beautiful  are  the  tones  sung, 
and  you  note  the  pauses  of  four  measures  be- 
tween each  phrase,  to  allow  the  student  to  re- 
peat the  phrase,  as  before. 

"I  firmly  believe  this  method  of  study  is 
bound  to  revolutionize  vocal  study  and  teach- 
ing. You  see  it  goes  to  the  very  foundation, 
and  trains  the  student  to  imitate  the  best 
models.  It  even  goes  farther  back,  to  the  chil- 
dren, teaching  them  how  to  speak  and  sing  cor- 
rectly, always  making  beautiful  tones,  without 
harshness  or  shouting.  Young  children  can 
learn  to  sing  tones  and  phrases  from  the  rec- 
ords. Furthermore,  I  believe  the  time  is  com- 
ing when  the  technic  and  interpretation  of 
every  instrument  will  be  taught  in  this  way. 

"It  is  my  intention  to  follow  up  this  set  of 
foundational  records  by  others  which  will  dem- 
onstrate the  interpretation  of  songs  and  arias 
as  they  are  sung  by  our  greatest  artists.  The 
outlook  is  almost  limitless. 


Oscar  Saenger  237 

"And  now,  do  you  think  I  have  answered 
your  questions  about  tone  production,  breath 
control  and  the  rest  ?  Perhaps  I  have,  as  con- 
vincingly as  an  hour's  talk  can  do." 


XXIV 

HERBERT  WITHERSPOON 

MEMORY,  IMAGINATION,  ANALYSIS 

No  doubt  the  serious  teacher,  who  may  be 
occupied  in  any  branch  of  musical  activity,  has 
often  pictured  to  himself  what  an  ideal  institu- 
tion of  musical  art  might  be  like,  if  all  students 
assembled  should  study  thoroughly  their  par- 
ticular instrument,  together  with  all  that  per- 
tained to  it.  They  should  by  all  means  possess 
talent,  intelligence,  industry,  and  be  far  re- 
moved from  a  superficial  attitude  toward  their 
chosen  field.  The  studio  used  for  instruction 
in  this  imagined  institution,  should  also  be 
ideal,  quiet,  airy,  homelike,  artistic. 

Some  such  vision  perhaps  floats  before  the 
minds  of  some  of  us  teachers,  when  we  are  in 
the  mood  to  dream  of  ideal  conditions  under 
which  we  would  like  to  see  our  art  work  con- 
ducted. 

It  has  been  possible  for  Mr.  Herbert  With- 
erspoon,  the  distinguished  basso  and  teacher, 
to.  make  such  a  dream-picture  come  true.  For 
he  has  established  an  institution  of  vocal  art— 

238 


Herbert   Witherspoon  239 

in  effect  if  not  in  name — where  all  the  subjects 
connected  with  singing,  are  considered  and 
taught  in  the  order  of  their  significance.  Not 
less  ideal  is  the  building  which  contains  these 
studios,  for  Mr.  Witherspoon  has  fitted  up  his 
private  home  as  a  true  abiding  place  for  the 
muse. 

At  the  close  of  a  busy  day,  marked  like  all 
the  rest  with  a  full  complement  of  lessons,  the 
master  teacher  was  willing  to  relax  a  little  and 
speak  of  the  work  in  which  he  is  so  deeply  ab- 
sorbed. He  apologized  for  having  run  over 
the  time  of  the  last  lesson,  saying  he  never 
could  teach  by  the  clock. 

"I  do  not  like  to  call  this  a  school,"  he  began, 
"although  it  amounts  to  one  in  reality,  but  only 
in  so  far  as  we  take  up  the  various  subjects 
connected  with  vocal  study.  I  consider  lan- 
guages of  the  highest  importance;  we  have 
them  taught  here.  There  are  classes  in  analy- 
sis, in  pedagogy — teaching  teachers  how  to  in- 
struct others.  We  have  an  excellent  master 
for  acting  and  for  stage  deportment:  I  advise 
that  students  know  something  of  acting,  even 
if  they  do  not  expect  to  go  in  for  opera;  they 
learn  how  to  carry  themselves  and  are  more 
graceful  and  self-possessed  before  an  audience. 

"The  work  has  developed  far  beyond  my  ex- 


240  Focal  Mastery 

pectations.  There  are  over  two  hundred  stu- 
dents, and  I  have  eight  assistants,  who  have 
been  trained  by  me  and  know  my  ways  and 
methods.  Some  of  these  give  practice  lessons 
to  students,  who  alternate  them  with  the  les- 
sons given  by  me.  These  lessons  are  quite  rea- 
sonable, and  in  combination  with  my  work, 
give  the  student  daily  attention. 

"My  plan  is  not  to  accept  every  applicant 
who  comes,  but  to  select  the  most  promising. 
The  applicants  must  measure  up  to  a  certain 
standard  before  they  can  enter.  To  this  one 
fact  is  due  much  of  our  success." 

"And  what  are  these  requirements?" 

"Voice,  to  begin  with;  youth  (unless  the  idea 
is  to  teach),  good  looks,  musical  intelligence, 
application.  If  the  candidate  possesses  these 
requisites,  we  begin  to  work.  In  three  months' 
time  it  can  be  seen  whether  the  student  is  mak- 
ing sufficient  progress  to  come  up  to  our  stand- 
ard. Those  who  do  not  are  weeded  out.  You 
can  readily  see  that  as  a  result  of  this  weeding 
process,  we  have  some  very  good  material  and 
fine  voices  to  work  with. 

"We  have  many  musicals  and  recitals,  both 
public  and  private,  where  young  singers  have 
an  opportunity  to  try  their  wings.  There  is  a 
most  generous,  unselfish  spirit  among  the  stu- 


Herbert  Witherspoon  241 

dents;  they  rejoice  in  each  others'  success,  with 
never  a  hint  of  jealousy.  We  have  had  a  num- 
ber of  recitals  in  both  ^Bolian  and  Carnegie 
Halls,  given  by  the  artist  students  this  season. 
On  these  occasions  the  other  students  always 
attend  and  take  as  much  interest  as  though 
they  were  giving  the  recital  themselves." 

BEL   CANTO 

"You  have  remarked  lately  that  'singers  are 
realizing  that  the  lost  art  of  bel  canto  is  the 
thing  to  strive  for  and  they  are  now  searching 
for  it.'  Can  you  give  a  little  more  light  on  this 
point?" 

"I  hardly  meant  to  say  that  in  any  sense  the 
art  of  bel  canto  was  lost;  how  could  it  be? 
Many  singers  seem  to  attach  some  uncanny 
significance  to  the  term.  Bel  canto  means  sim- 
ply beautiful  singing.  When  you  have  per- 
fect breath  control,  and  distinct,  artistic  enun- 
ciation, you  will  possess  bel  canto,  because  you 
will  produce  your  tones  and  your  words  beau- 
tifully. 

"Because  these  magic  words  are  in  the  Ital- 
ian tongue  does  not  mean  that  they  apply  to 
something  only  possessed  by  Italians.  Not  at 
all.  Any  one  can  sing  beautifully  who  does  so 
with  ease  and  naturalness,  the  American  just 


242  Focal  Mastery 

as  well  as  those  of  any  other  countries.  In 
fact  I  consider  American  voices,  in  general, 
better  trained  than  those  of  Italy,  Germany  or 
France.  The  Italian,  in  particular,  has  very 
little  knowledge  of  the  scientific  side;  he 
usually  sings  by  intuition. 

"We  ought  to  have  our  own  standards  in 
judging  American  voices;  until  we  do  so,  we 
will  be  constantly  comparing  them  with  the 
voices  of  foreign  singers.  The  quality  of  the 
American  voice  is  different  from  the  quality 
found  in  the  voices  of  other  countries.  To  my 
mind  the  best  women's  voices  are  found  right 
here  in  our  midst. 

MEMORY 

"I  have  also  said  that  there  are  three  great 
factors  which  should  form  the  foundation 
stones  upon  which  the  singer  should  rear  his 
structure  of  musical  achievement.  These  fac- 
tors are  Memory,  Imagination,  Analysis.  I 
have  put  memory  first  because  it  is  the  whole 
thing,  so  to  say.  The  singer  without  mem- 
ory— a  cultivated  memory — does  not  get  far. 
Memory  lies  at  the  very  foundation  of  his 
work,  and  must  continue  with  it  the  whole 
journey  through,  from  the  bottom  to  the  top. 
In  the  beginning  you  think  a  beautiful  tone, 


Herbert   Witherspoon  243 

you  tiy  to  reproduce  it.  When  you  come  to 
it  again  you  must  remember  just  how  you  did 
it  before.  Each  time  you  repeat  the  tone  this 
effort  of  memory  comes  in,  until  at  last  it  has 
become  second  nature  to  remember  and  pro- 
duce the  result;  you  now  begin  to  do  so  auto- 
matically. 

"As  you  advance  there  are  words  to  remem- 
ber as  well  as  notes  and  tones.  Memory,  of 
course,  is  just  as  necessary  for  the  pianist. 
He  must  be  able  to  commit  large  numbers  of 
notes,  phrases  and  passages.  In  his  case  there 
are  a  number  of  keys  to  grasp  at  once,  but  the 
singer  can  sing  but  one  tone  at  a  time.  Both 
notes  and  words  should  be  memorized,  so  the 
singer  can  come  before  the  audience  without 
being  confined  to  the  printed  page.  When 
acting  is  added  there  is  still  more  to  remember. 
Back  of  memory  study  lies  concentration; 
without  concentration  little  can  be  accom- 
plished in  any  branch  of  art. 

IMAGINATION 

"The  central  factor  is  imagination;  what 
can  be  done  without  it!  Can  you  think  of  a 
musician,  especially  a  singer,  without  imagina- 
tion ?  He  may  acquire  the  letter — that  is,  exe- 
cute the  notes  correctly,  but  the  performance  is 


244  Vocal  Mastery 

dead,  without  life  or  soul.  With  imagination 
he  comprehends  what  is  the  inner  meaning  of 
the  text,  the  scene ;  also  what  the  composer  had 
in  mind  when  he  wrote.  Then  he  learns  to  ex- 
press these  emotions  in  his  own  voice  and  ac- 
tion, through  the  imaginative  power,  which  will 
color  his  tones,  influence  his  action,  render  his 
portrayal  instinct  with  life.  Imagination  in 
some  form  is  generally  inherent  in  all  of  us. 
If  it  lies  dormant,  it  can  be  cultivated  and 
brought  to  bear  upon  the  singer's  work.  This 
is  absolutely  essential. 

ANALYSIS 

"I  have  put  analysis  last  because  it  is  the 
crowning  virtue,  the  prime  necessity.  We 
study  analysis  here  in  the  studios,  learning  how 
to  separate  music  into  its  component  parts,  to- 
gether with  simple  chord  formations,  general 
form  and  structure  of  the  pieces,  and  so  on. 
Can  you  comprehend  the  dense  ignorance  of 
many  music  students  on  these  subjects?  They 
will  come  here  to  me,  never  having  analyzed  a 
bit  of  music  in  their  lives,  having  not  an  inkling 
of  what  chord  structure  and  form  in  music 
mean.  If  they  played  piano  even  a  little,  they 
could  hardly  escape  getting  a  small  notion  of 
chord  formation.  But  frequently  vocal  stu- 


Herbert   Wither  spoon  245 

dents  know  nothing  of  the  piano.  They  are 
too  apt  to  be  superficial.  It  is  an  age  of  super- 
ficiality— and  cramming:  we  see  these  evils  all 
the  way  from  the  college  man  down.  I  am  a 
Yale  man  and  don't  like  to  say  anything  about 
college  government,  yet  I  cannot  shut  my  eyes 
to  the  fact  that  men  may  spend  four  years 
going  through  college  and  yet  not  be  educated 
when  they  come  out.  Most  of  us  are  in  too 
much  of  a  hurry,  and  so  fail  to  take  time 
enough  to  learn  things  thoroughly;  above  all 
we  never  stop  to  analyze. 

"Analysis  should  begin  at  the  very  outset  of 
our  vocal  or  instrumental  study.  We  analyze 
the  notes  of  the  music  we  are  singing,  and  a 
little  later  its  form.  We  analyze  the  ideas  of 
the  composer  and  also  our  own  thoughts  and 
ideas,  to  try  and  bring  them  in  harmony  with 
his.  After  analyzing  the  passage  before  us, 
we  may  see  it  in  a  totally  different  light,  and 
so  phrase  and  deliver  it  with  an  entirely  differ- 
ent idea  from  what  we  might  have  done  with- 
out this  intelligent  study." 

CONSCIOUS   OR   UNCONSCIOUS   CONTROL 

"Do  you  advise  conscious  action  of  the  parts 
comprising  the  vocal  instrument,  or  do  you  pre- 
fer unconscious  control  of  the  instrument,  with 


246  Vocal  Mastery 

thought  directed  to  the  ideal  quality  in  tone 
production  and  delivery?"  was  asked. 

"By  all  means  unconscious  control,"  was  the 
emphatic  answer.  "We  wish  to  produce  beau- 
tiful sounds ;  if  the  throat  is  open,  the  breathing 
correct,  and  we  have  a  mental  concept  of  that 
beautiful  sound,  we  are  bound  to  produce  it. 
It  might  be  almost  impossible  to  produce  cor- 
rect tones  if  we  thought  constantly  about  every 
muscle  in  action.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  non- 
sense talked  and  written  about  the  diaphragm, 
vocal  chords  and  other  parts  of  the  anatomy. 
It  is  all  right  for  the  teacher  who  wishes  to  be 
thoroughly  trained,  to  know  everything  there 
is  to  know  about  the  various  organs  and  mus- 
cles; I  would  not  discourage  this.  But  for 
the  young  singer  I  consider  it  unnecessary. 
Think  supremely  of  the  beautiful  tones  you 
desire  to  produce;  listen  for  them  with  the 
outer  ear — and  the  inner  ear — that  is  to  say — 
mentally — and  you  will  hear  them.  Mean- 
while, control  is  becoming  more  and  more  ha- 
bitual, until  it  approaches  perfection  and  at 
last  becomes  automatic.  When  that  point  is 
reached,  your  sound  producing  instrument 
does  the  deed,  while  your  whole  attention  is 
fixed  on  the  interpretation  of  a  master  work, 


Herbert  Witherspoon  247 

the  performance  of  which  requires  your  undi- 
vided application.  If  there  is  action,  you  con- 
trol that  in  the  same  way  until  it  also  becomes 
automatic;  then  both  singing  and  acting  are 
spontaneous." 

DOES  THE   SINGER   HEAR   HIMSELF? 

This  question  was  put  to  Mr.  Witherspoon, 
who  answered : 

"The  singer  of  course  hears  himself,  and 
with  study  learns  to  hear  himself  better.  In 
fact  I  believe  the  lack  of  this  part  of  vocal 
training  is  one  of  the  greatest  faults  of  the  day, 
and  that  the  singer  should  depend  more  upon 
hearing  the  sound  he  makes  than  upon  feeling 
the  sound.  In  other  words,  train  the  ear,  the 
court  of  ultimate  resort,  and  the  only  judge— 
and  forget  sensation  as  much  as  possible,  for 
the  latter  leads  to  a  million  confusions. 

"Undoubtedly  a  singer  hears  in  his  own  voice 
what  his  auditors  do  not  hear,  for  he  also  hears 
with  his  inner  ear,  but  the  singer  must  learn  to 
hear  his  own  voice  as  others  hear  it,  which  he 
can  do  perfectly  well.  Here  we  come  to  analy- 
sis again. 

"The  phonograph  records  teach  us  much  in 
this  respect,  although  I  never  have  considered 


248  Focal  Mastery 

that  the  phonograph  reproduces  the  human 
voice.  It  comes  near  it  in  some  cases,  utterly 
fails  in  others,  and  the  best  singers  do  not  al- 
ways make  the  best  or  most  faithful  reproduc- 
tions." 


XXV 
YEATMAN  GRIFFITH 

CAUSATION 

"THE  causation  of  beautiful  singing  can  only 
be  found  through  a  pure  and  velvety  produc- 
tion of  the  voice,  and  this  is  acquired  in  no  other 
way  than  by  a  thorough  understanding  of  what 
constitutes  a  perfect  beginning — that  is  the 
attack  or  start  of  the  tone.  If  the  tone  has  a 
perfect  beginning  it  must  surely  have  a  perfect 
ending." 

Thus  Mr.  Yeatman  Griffith  began  a  confer- 
ence on  the  subject  of  vocal  technic  and  the  art 
of  song.  He  had  had  a  day  crowded  to.  the 
brim  with  work — although  all  days  were 
usually  alike  filled — yet  he  seemed  as  fresh  and 
unwearied  as  though  the  day  had  only  just 
begun.  One  felt  that  here  was  a  man  who 
takes  true  satisfaction  in  his  work  of  imparting 
to  others;  his  work  is  evidently  not  a  tiresome 
task  but  a  real  joy.  Mrs.  Griffith  shares  this 
joy  of  work  with  her  husband.  "It  is  most 
ideal,"  she  says;  "we  have  so  grown  into  it  to- 
gether; we  love  it." 

249 


250  Focal  Mastery 

As  is  well  known,  this  artist  pair  returned  to 
their  home  land  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war, 
after  having  resided  and  taught  for  five  years 
in  London,  and  previous  to  that  for  one  year  in 
Florence,  Italy.  Of  course  they  were  both 
singers,  giving  recitals  together,  like  the  Hen- 
schels,  and  appearing  in  concert  and  oratorio. 
But  constant  public  activity  is  incompatible 
with  a  large  teaching  practice.  One  or  the 
other  has  to  suffer.  "We  chose  to  do  the 
teaching  and  sacrifice  our  public  career,"  said 
Mr.  Griffith.  During  the  five  years  in  which 
these  artists  have  resided  in  New  York,  they 
have  accomplished  much;  their  influence  has 
been  an  artistic  impulse  toward  the  ideals  of 
beautiful  singing.  Among  their  many  artist 
pupils  who  are  making  names  for  themselves, 
it  may  be  mentioned  that  Florence  Macbeth,  a 
charming  coloratura  soprano,  owes  much  of 
her  success  to  their  careful  guidance. 

"Michael  Angelo  has  said,"  continued  Mr. 
Griffith,  "that  'a  perfect  start  is  our  first  and 
greatest  assurance  of  a  perfect  finish.'  And 
nowhere  is  this  precept  more  truly  exemplified 
than  in  vocal  tone  production.  The  tone  must 
have  the  right  beginning,  then  it  will  be  right 
all  through.  A  faulty  beginning  is  to  blame 
for  most  of  the  vocal  faults  and  sins  of  singers. 


Yeatman  Griffith  251 

Our  country  is  full  of  beautiful  natural  voices ; 
through  lack  of  understanding  many  of  them, 
even  when  devoting  time  and  money  to  study, 
never  become  more  than  mediocre,  when  they 
might  have  developed  into  really  glorious 
voices  if  they  had  only  had  the  right;  kind  of 
treatment. 

TONE   PLACEMENT 

"We  hear  a  great  deal  about  tone  placement 
in  these  days;  the  world  seems  to  have  gone 
mad  over  the  idea.  But  it  is  an  erroneous  idea. 
How  futile  to  attempt  to  place  the  tone  in  any 
particular  spot  in  the  anatomy.  You  can 
focus  the  tone,  but  you  cannot  place  it.  There 
is  but  one  place  for  it  to  come  from  and  no 
other  place.  It  is  either  emitted  with  artistic 
effect  or  it  is  not.  If  not,  then  there  is  stiff- 
ness and  contraction,  and  the  trouble  ought  to 
be  remedied  at  once. 

"Every  one  agrees  that  if  the  vocal  instru- 
ment were  something  we  could  see,  our  task 
would  be  comparatively  easy.  It  is  because 
the  instrument  is  hidden  that  so  many  false 
theories  about  it  have  sprung  up.  One  teacher 
advocates  a  high,  active  chest;  therefore  the 
chest  is  held  high  and  rigid,  while  the  abdom- 
inal muscles  are  deprived  of  the  strength 


252  Focal  Mastery 

they  should  have.  Another  advises  throwing 
the  abdomen  forward ;  still  another  squares  the 
shoulders  and  stiffens  the  neck.  These  things 
do  not  aid  in  breath  control  in  the  least ;  on  the 
contrary  they  induce  rigidity  which  is  fatal  to 
easy,  natural  tone  emission. 

IN   THE   BEGINNING 

"When  the  pupil  comes  to  me,  we  at  once 
establish  natural,  easy  conditions  of  body  and 
an  understanding  of  the  causes  which  produce 
good  tone.  We  then  begin  to  work  on  the 
vowels.  They  are  the  backbone  of  good  sing- 
ing. When  they  become  controlled,  they  are 
then  preceded  by  consonants.  Take  the  first 
vowel,  A;  it  can  be  preceded  by  all  the  conso- 
nants of  the  alphabet  one  after  another,  then 
each  vowel  in  turn  can  be  treated  in  the  same 
way.  We  now  have  syllables ;  the  next  step  is 
to  use  words.  Here  is  where  difficulties  some- 
times arise  for  the  student.  The  word  be- 
comes perfectly  easy  to  sing  if  vowels  and  con- 
sonants are  properly  produced.  When  they 
are  not,  words  become  obstacles.  Correct  un- 
derstanding will  quickly  obviate  this. 


Yeatman  Griffith  253 

BREATH   CONTROL 

"Breath  control  is  indeed  a  vital  need,  but  it 
should  not  be  made  a  bugbear  to  be  greatly 
feared.  The  young  student  imagines  he  must 
inflate  the  lungs  almost  to  bursting,  in  order 
that  he  may  take  a  breath  long  enough  to  sing 
a  phrase.  Then,  as  soon  as  he  opens  his  lips, 
he  allows  half  the  air  he  has  taken  in  to  escape, 
before  he  has  uttered  a  sound.  With  such  a 
beginning  he  can  only  gasp  a  few  notes  of  the 
phrase.  Or  he  distends  the  muscles  at  the 
waist  to  the  fullest  extent  and  fancies  this  is  the 
secret  of  deep  breathing.  In  short,  most  stu- 
dents make  the  breathing  and  breath  control  a 
very  difficult  matter  indeed,  when  it  is,  or 
should  be  an  act  most  easy  and  natural.  They 
do  not  need  the  large  quantity  of  breath  they 
imagine  they  do;  for  a  much  smaller  amount 
will  suffice  to  do  the  work.  I  tell  them,  'Inhale 
simply  and  naturally,  as  though  you  inhaled 
the  fragrance  of  a  flower.  And  when  you 
open  your  lips  after  this  full  natural  breath,  do 
not  let  the  breath  escape;  the  vocal  chords  will 
make  the  tone,  if  you  understand  how  to  make 
a  perfect  start.  If  the  action  is  correct,  the 
vocal  chords  will  meet;  they  will  not  be  held 
apart  nor  will  they  crowd  each  other.  Allow 


2o4  Vocal  Mastery 

the  diaphragm  and  respiratory  muscles  to  do 
their  work,  never  forcing  them;  then  you  will 
soon  learn  what  breath  control  in  singing 
means.  Remember  again,  not  a  particle  of 
breath  should  be  allowed  to  escape.  Every 
other  part  of  the  apparatus  must  be  permitted 
to  do  its  work,  otherwise  there  will  be  interfer- 
ence somewhere.' 

CAUSATION 

"Everything  pertaining  to  the  study  of  vocal 
technic  and  the  art  of  singing  may  be  summed 
up  in  the  one  word — Causation.  A  cause  un- 
derlies every  effect.  If  you  do  not  secure  the 
quality  of  tone  you  desire,  there  must  be  a  rea- 
son for  it.  You  evidently  do  not  understand 
the  cause  which  will  produce  the  effect.  That 
is  the  reason  why  singers  possessing  really 
beautiful  voices  produce  uneven  effects  and  va- 
riable results.  They  may  sing  a  phrase  quite 
perfectly  at  one  moment.  A  short  time  after 
they  may  repeat  the  same  phrase  in  quite  a  dif- 
ferent way  and  not  at  all  perfectly.  One 
night  they  will  sing  very  beautifully ;  the  next 
night  you  might  hardly  recognize  the  voice,  so 
changed  would  be  its  quality.  This  would  not 
be  the  case  if  they  understood  causation.  A 
student,  rightly  taught,  should  know  the  cause 


Ye  at  man  Griffith  255 

for  everything  he  does,  how  he  does  thus  and 
so  and  why  he  does  it.  A  singer  should  be  able 
to  produce  the  voice  correctly,  no  matter  in 
what  position  the  role  he  may  be  singing  may 
require  the  head  or  body  to  be  in.  In  opera 
the  head  or  body  may  be  placed  in  difficult  un- 
natural positions,  but  these  should  not  interfere 
with  good  tone  production. 


"I  am  asked  sometimes  if  I  teach  registers  of 
the  voice.  I  can  say  decidedly  no,  I  do  not 
teach  registers.  The  voice  should  be  one  and 
entire,  from  top  to  bottom,  and  should  be  pro- 
duced as  such,  no  matter  in  wrhat  part  of  the 
voice  you  sing.  Throughout  the  voice  the 
same  instrument  is  doing  the  work.  So,  too, 
with  voices  of  different  caliber,  the  coloratura, 
lyric  and  dramatic.  Each  and  all  of  these  may 
feel  the  dramatic  spirit  of  the  part,  but  the 
lighter  quality  of  the  voice  may  prevent  the 
coloratura  from  expressing  it.  The  world  rec- 
ognizes the  dramatic  singer  in  the  size  of  the 
voice  and  of  the  person.  From  an  artistic 
point  of  view,  however,  there  are  two  ways  of 
looking  at  the  question,  since  the  lyric  voice 
may  have  vivid  dramatic  instincts,  and  may  be 
able  to  bring  them  out  with  equal  or  even 


256  Focal  Mastery 

greater   intensity  than   the   purely   dramatic 
organ. 

VOCAL   MASTERY 

"Vocal  Mastery  is  acquired  through  correct 
understanding  of  what  constitutes  pure  vowel 
sounds,  and  such  control  of  the  breath  as  will 
enable  one  to  convert  every  atom  of  breath  into 
singing  tone.  This  establishes  correct  action 
of  the  vocal  chords  and  puts  the  singer  in  pos- 
session of  the  various  tints  of  the  voice. 

"When  the  diaphragm  and  respiratory  mus- 
cles support  the  breath  sufficiently  and  the 
vocal  chords  are  permitted  to  do  their  work, 
you  produce  pure  tone.  Many  singers  do  not 
understand  these  two  vital  principles.  They 
either  sing  with  too  much  relaxation  of  the  dia- 
phragm and  respiratory  muscles,  or  too  much 
rigidity.  Consequently  the  effort  becomes  lo- 
cal instead  of  constitutional,  which  renders  the 
tone  hard  and  strident  and  variable  to  pitch. 
Again  the  vocal  chords  are  either  forced  apart 
or  pinched  together,  with  detriment  to  tone 
production. 

"The  real  value  of  control  is  lost  when  we 
attempt  to  control  the  singing  instrument  and 
the  breath  by  seeking  a  place  for  the  tone  the 
singing  instrument  produces.  When  the  vo- 


Yeatman  Griffith  257 

cal  chords  are  allowed  to  produce  pure  vowels, 
correct  action  is  the  result  and  with  proper 
breath  support,  Vocal  Mastery  can  be  as- 
sured." 


XXVI 

J.  H.  DUVAL 

SOME  SECRETS  OF  BEAUTIFUL  SINGING 

A  YOUNG  French  girl  had  just  sung  a  group 
of  songs  in  her  own  language  and  had  won  ac- 
claim from  the  distinguished  company  present. 
They  admired  the  rich  quality  of  her  voice,  her 
easy,  spontaneous  tone  production  and  clear 
diction.  A  brilliant  future  was  predicted  for 
the  young  singer.  One  critic  of  renown  re- 
marked :  "It  is  a  long  time  since  I  have  heard 
a  voice  so  well  placed  and  trained." 

"And  who  is  your  teacher?"  she  was  asked. 

"It  is  Mr.  Duval;  I  owe  everything  to  him. 
He  has  really  made  my  voice ;  I  have  never  had 
another  teacher  and  all  my  success  will  be  due 
to  him,"  she  answered. 

We  at  once  expressed  a  desire  to  meet  Mr. 
Duval  and  hear  from  his  own  lips  how  such 
results  were  attained. 

A  meeting  was  easily  arranged  and  we  ar- 
rived at  the  appointed  hour,  just  in  time  to 
hear  one  of  the  brilliant  students  of  this 
American-French  singing  master. 

258 


J.  H.  Duval  259 

Mr.  Duval  is  young,  slim  and  lithe  of  figure, 
with  sensitive,  refined  features,  which  grow 
very  animated  as  he  speaks.  He  has  a  rich 
fund  of  humor  and  an  intensity  of  utterance 
that  at  once  arrests  the  listener.  He  came  for- 
ward to  greet  the  visitor  with  simple  cordiality, 
saying  he  was  pleased  we  could  hear  one  of  his 
latest  "finds." 

The  young  tenor  was  at  work  on  an  air  from 
Tosca.  His  rich,  vibrant  voice,  of  large 
power  and  range  and  of  real  Caruso-like  qual- 
ity, poured  forth  with  free  and  natural  emis- 
sion. With  what  painstaking  care  this  wise 
teacher  aided  him  to  mold  each  tone,  each 
phrase,  till  it  attained  the  desired  effect. 
Being  a  singer  himself,  Mr.  Duval  is  able  to 
show  and  demonstrate  as  well  as  explain.  He 
does  both  with  the  utmost  clearness  and  with 
unfailing  interest  and  enthusiasm.  Indeed  his 
interest  in  each  pupil  in  his  charge  is  unstinted. 

The  lesson  over,  Mr.  Duval  came  over  to  us. 
"There  is  a  singer  I  shall  be  proud  of,"  he  said. 
"Several  years  ago  I  taught  him  for  a  few 
months,  giving  him  the  principles  of  voice 
placement  and  tone  production.  This  was  in 
Europe.  I  had  not  seen  him  since  then  till  re- 
cently, when  circumstances  led  Jiim  to  New 
York.  He  never  forgot  what  he  had  previ- 


260  Focal  Mastery 

ously  learned  with  me.  He  now  has  a  lesson 
every  day  and  is  a  most  industrious  worker. 
I  believe  he  has  a  fortune  in  that  voice.  Xext 
season  will  see  him  launched,  and  he  will  surely 
make  a  sensation." 

"Will  you  give  some  idea  of  the  means  by 
which  you  accomplish  such  results?" 

"The  means  are  very  simple  and  natural. 
So  many  students  are  set  on  the  wrong  track 
by  being  told  to  do  a  multitude  of  things  that 
are  unnecessary,  even  positively  harmful. 
For  instance,  they  are  required  to  sing  scales 
on  the  vowels,  A,  E,  I,  O,  U.  I  only  use  the 
vowel  Ah,  for  exercises,  finding  the  others  are 
not  needed,  especially  excluding  E  and  U  as 
injurious.  Indeed  one  of  the  worst  things  a 
young  voice  can  do  is  to  sing  scales  on  E  and 
U,  for  these  contract  the  muscles  of  the  lips. 
Another  injurious  custom  is  to  sing  long,  sus- 
tained tones  in  the  beginning.  This  I  do  not 
permit. 

"After  telling  you  the  things  I  forbid,  I 
must  enlighten  you  as  to  our  plan  of  study. 

"The  secret  of  correct  tone  emission  is  entire 
relaxation  of  the  lips.  I  tell  the  pupil,  the  be- 
ginner, at  the  first  lesson,  to  sing  the  vowel  Ah 
as  loudly  and  as  deeply  as  possible,  thinking 
constantly  of  relaxed  lips  and  loose  lower  jaw. 


J.  H.  Duval  261 

Ah  is  the  most  natural  vowel  and  was  used  ex- 
clusively in  the  old  Italian  school  of  Bel  Canto. 
Long  sustained  tones  are  too  difficult.  One 
should  sing  medium  fast  scales  at  first.  If  we 
begin  with  the  long  sustained  tone,  the  young 
singer  is  sure  to  hold  the  voice  in  his  throat,  or 
if  he  lets  go,  a  tremolo  will  result.  Either  a 
throaty,  stiff  tone  or  a  tremolo  will  result  from 
practicing  the  single  sustained  tone. 

"Singing  pianissimo  in  the  beginning  is  an- 
other fallacy.  This  is  one  of  the  most  difficult 
accomplishments  and  should  be  reserved  for  a 
later  period  of  development. 

"The  young  singer  adds  to  scales  various  in- 
tervals, sung  twice  in  a  breath,  beginning,  not 
at  the  extreme  of  the  lower  voice,  but  carried 
up  as  high  as  he  can  comfortably  reach.  I  be- 
lieve in  teaching  high  tones  early,  and  in  show- 
ing the  pupil  how  to  produce  the  head  voice. 
Xot  that  I  am  a  high  tone  specialist,"  he  added 
smiling,  "for  I  do  not  sacrifice  any  part  of  the 
voice  to  secure  the  upper  notes.  But  after  all 
it  is  the  high  portion  of  the  voice  that  requires 
the  most  study,  and  that  is  where  so  many 
singers  fail. 

"The  young  student  practices  these  first 
exercises,  and  others,  two  half  hours  daily,  at 
least  two  hours  after  eating,  and  comes  to  me 


262  Vocal  Mastery 

three  times  a  week.  I  suggest  she  rest  one  day 
in  each  week,  during  which  she  need  not  sing  at 
all,  but  studies  other  subjects  connected  with 
her  art.  As  the  weeks  go  by,  the  voice, 
through  relaxed  lips  and  throat  and  careful 
training,  grows  richer  and  more  plentiful. 
One  can  almost  note  its  development  from  day 
to  day. 

WORDS   IN    THE   VOICE 

"When  the  time  comes  to  use  words,  the  im- 
portant thing  is  to  put  the  words  in  the  voice, 
not  the  voice  in  the  words,  to  quote  Juliani,  the 
great  teacher,  with  whom  I  was  associated  in 
Paris.  More  voices  have  been  ruined  by  the 
stiff,  exaggerated  use  of  the  lips  in  pronounc- 
ing, than  in  any  other  way.  When  we  put  the 
words  in  the  voice,  in  an  easy,  natural  way,  we 
have  bel  canto. 

"Another  thing  absolutely  necessary  is 
breath  support.  Hold  up  the  breath  high  in 
the  body,  for  high  tones,  though  always  with 
the  throat  relaxed.  This  point  is  not  nearly 
enough  insisted  upon  by  teachers  of  singing. 

"The  points  I  have  mentioned  already  prove 
that  a  vocal  teacher  who  desires  the  best  results 
in  his  work  with  others,  must  know  how  to  sing 


J.  H.  Duval  263 

himself;  he  should  have  had  wide  experience  in 
concert  and  opera  before  attempting  to  lead 
others  along  these  difficult  paths.  Because  a 
man  can  play  the  organ  and  piano  and  has  ac- 
companied singers  is  not  the  slightest  cause  for 
thinking  he  can  train  voices  in  the  art  of  song. 
I  have  no  wish  to  speak  against  so-called  teach- 
ers of  singing,  but  say  this  in  the  interests  of 
unsuspecting  students. 

"It  is  impossible,"  continued  Mr.  Duval,  "to 
put  the  whole  method  of  vocal  training  into  a 
few  sentences.  The  student  advances  grad- 
ually and  naturally,  but  surely,  from  the  be- 
ginnings I  have  indicated,  to  the  trill,  the  pizzi- 
cati,  to  more  rapid  scales,  to  learning  the  at- 
tack, and  so  on.  Of  course  diction  plays  a 
large  part  in  the  singer's  development.  With 
the  first  song  the  student  learns  to  put  other 
vowels  in  the  same  voice  with  which  the  exer- 
cises on  Ah  have  been  sung,  and  to  have  them 
all  of  the  same  size,  easily  and  loosely  pro- 
nounced. Never  permit  the  pronunciation  to 
be  too  broad  for  the  voice.  The  pronunciation 
should  never  be  mouthed,  but  should  flow  into 
the  stream  of  the  breath  without  causing  a  rip- 
ple. This  is  bel  canto ! 

"In  teaching  I  advise  two  pupils  sharing  the 


264  Focal  Mastery 

hour,  for  while  one  is  singing  the  other  can  rest 
the  voice  and  observe  what  is  being  taught. 
It  is  too  fatiguing  to  a  young  voice  to  expect 
it  to  work  a  full  half  hour  without  rest. 

"I  was  teaching  in  my  Paris  studio  for  a 
number  of  months  after  the  war  started,  before 
coming  to  America.  It  is  my  intention,  in  fu- 
ture, to  divide  my  time  between  New  York  and 
Paris.  I  like  teaching  in  the  French  capital 
for  the  reason  I  can  bring  out  my  pupils  in 
opera  there.  I  am  also  pleased  to  teach  in  my 
own  land,  for  the  pleasant  connections  I  have 
made  here,  and  for  the  fresh,  young  American 
voices  which  come  to  me  to  be  trained." 

VOCAL   MASTERY 

"What  is  Vocal  Mastery?  There  are  so 
many  kinds!  Every  great  artist  has  his  own 
peculiar  manner  of  accomplishing  results — his 
own  vocal  mastery.  Patti  had  one  kind, 
Maurel  another,  Lehmann  still  another.  Ca- 
ruso also  may  be  considered  to  have  his  own 
vocal  mastery,  inasmuch  as  he  commands  a 
vocal  technic  which  enables  him  to  interpret 
any  role  that  lies  within  his  power  and  range. 
The  greatest  singer  of  to-day,  Shalyapin,  has 
also  his  individual  vocal  mastery,  closely  re- 


J.  H.  Duval  265 

sembling  the  sort  that  enabled  Maurel  to  run 
such  a  gamut  of  emotions  with  such  astonishing 
command  and  resource. 

"In  fine,  as  every  great  artist  is  different 
from  his  compeers,  there  can  be  no  fixed  and 
fast  standard  of  vocal  mastery,  except  the  mas- 
tery of  doing  a  great  thing  convincingly." 


XXVII 

THE  CODA 

A   RESUME 

THE  student,  seeking  light  on  the  many 
problems  of  vocal  technic,  the  training  for  con- 
cert and  opera,  how  to  get  started  in  the  profes- 
sion, and  kindred  subjects  of  vital  importance, 
has  doubtless  found,  in  the  foregoing  talks  a 
rich  fund  of  help  and  suggestion.  It  is  from 
such  high  sources  that  a  few  words  of  personal 
experience  and  advice,  have  often  proved  to  be 
to  the  young  singer  a  beacon  light,  showing 
what  to  avoid  and  what  to  follow.  It  were  well 
to  gather  up  these  strands  of  suggestion  from 
great  artists  and  weave  them  into  a  strong  bul- 
wark of  precept  and  example,  so  that  the  stu- 
dent may  be  kept  within  the  narrow  path  of 
sound  doctrine  and  high  endeavor. 

At  the  very  outset,  two  points  must  be  borne 
in  mind : 

1.  Each  and  every  voice  and  mentality  is  indi- 
vidual. 
2-  The  artist  has  become  a  law  unto  himself;  it 


is  not  possible  for  him  to  make  rules  for 
others. 

First,  as  to  difference  in  voices.  When  it  is 
considered  that  the  human  instrument,  unlike 
any  fabricated  by  the  hand  of  man,  is  a  purely 
personal  instrument,  subject  to  endless  varia- 
tion through  variety  in  formation  of  mouth  and 
throat  cavities,  also  physical  conditions  of  the 
anatomy,  it  is  no  cause  for  wonder  that  the  hu- 
man instrument  should  differ  in  each  iadivid- 
ual.  Then  think  of  all  sorts  and  conditions  of 
mentality,  environment,  ambitions  and  ideals. 
It  is  a  self  evident  fact  that  the  vocal  instru- 
ment must  be  a  part  of  each  person,  of  whom 
there  are  "no  two  alike." 

Artists  in  general  have  strongly  expressed 
themselves  on  this  point:  most  of  them  agree 
with  Galli-Curci,  when  she  says:  "There  are 
as  many  kinds  of  voices  as  there  are  persons; 
therefore  it  seems  to  me  each  voice  should  be 
treated  in  the  manner  best  suited  to  its  posses- 
sor." "Singing  is  such  an  individual  thing, 
after  all,"  says  Anna  Case;  "it  is  a  part  of  one's 
very  self."  "Each  person  has  a  different  men- 
tality and  a  different  kind  of  voice,"  says  Mar- 
tinelli;  "indeed  there  are  as  many  qualities  of 
voice  as  there  are  people." 


268  Focal  Mastery 

Granting,  then,  that  there  are  no  two  voices 
and  personalities  in  the  world,  exactly  alike,  it 
follows,  as  a  natural  conclusion,  that  the  re- 
nowned vocalist,  who  has  won  his  or  her  way 
from  the  beginning  up  to  fame  and  fortune, 
realizes  that  her  instrument  and  her  manner  of 
training  and  handling  it  are  peculiarly  per- 
sonal. As  she  has  won  success  through  certain 
means  and  methods,  she  considers  those  means 
belong  to  her,  in  the  sense  that  they  especially 
suit  her  particular  instrument.  She  is  then  a 
law  unto  herself  and  is  unwilling  to  lay  down 
any  laws  for  others.  Geraldine  Farrar  does 
not  imply  there  is  only  one  right  way  to  train 
the  voice,  and  she  has  found  that  way.  In 
speaking  of  her  method  of  study,  she  says: 
"These  things  seem  best  for  my  voice,  and  this 
is  the  way  I  work.  But,  since  each  voice  is 
different,  my  ways  might  not  suit  any  one  else. 
I  have  no  desire  to  lay  down  rules  for  others ;  I 
can  only  speak  of  my  own  experience." 

Galli-Curci  says:  "The  singer  who  under- 
stands her  business  must  know  just  how  she 
produces  tones  and  vocal  effects'.  She  can 
then  do  them  at  all  times,  even  under  adverse 
circumstances,  when  nervous  or  not  in  the 
mood.  I  have  developed  the  voice  and  trained 
it  in  the  way  that  seemed  to  me  best  for  it. 


The  Coda  269 

How  can  any  other  person  tell  you  how  that  is 
to  be  done?" 

"It  rests  with  the  singer  what  she  will  do 
with  her  voice — how  she  will  develop  it,"  re- 
marks Mme.  Homer.  Martinelli  says :  "The 
voice  is  a  hidden  instrument  and  eventually  its 
fate  must  rest  with  its  possessor.  After  gen- 
eral principles  are  understood,  a  singer  must 
work  them  out  according  to  his  ability."  Flor- 
ence Easton  remarks:  "Each  singer  who  has 
risen,  who  has  found  herself,  knows  by  what 
path  she  climbed,  but  the  path  she  found  might 
not  do  for  another." 

Instead  of  considering  this  reticence  on  the 
part  of  the  successful  singer,  to  explain  the 
ways  and  means  which  enabled  him  to  reach 
success,  in  the  light  of  a  selfish  withholding  of 
advice  which  would  benefit  the  young  student, 
we  rather  look  upon  it  as  a  worthy  and  consci- 
entious desire  not  to  lead  any  one  into  paths 
which  might  not  be  best  for  his  or  her  instru- 
ment. 

In  the  beginning  the  student  needs  advice 
from  an  expert  master,  and  is  greatly  benefited 
by  knowing  how  the  great  singers  have 
achieved.  Later  on,  when  principles  have  be- 
come thoroughly  understood,  the  young  sing- 
ers learn  what  is  best  for  their  own  voices ;  they, 


270  Focal  Mastery 

too,  become  a  law  unto  themselves,  capable  of 
continuing  the  development  of  their  own  voices 
in  the  manner  best  suited  to  this  most  individ- 
ual of  all  instruments. 

AMERICAN   VOICES 

We  often  hear  slighting  things  said  of  the 
quality  of  American  voices,  especially  the 
speaking  voice.  They  are  frequently  com- 
pared to  the  beauty  of  European  voices,  to  the 
disparagement  of  those  of  our  own  country. 
Remembering  the  obloquy  cast  upon  the  Amer- 
ican voice,  it  is  a  pleasure  to  record  the  views  of 
some  of  the  great  singers  on  this  point.  "There 
are  quantities  of  girls  in  America  with  good 
voices,  good  looks  and  a  love  for  music,"  as- 
serts Mme.  Easton.  Mme.  Hempel  says:  "I 
find  there  are  quantities  of  lovely  voices  here  in 
America.  The  quality  of  the  American  fe- 
male voice  is  beautiful;  in  no  country  is  it  finer, 
not  even  in  Italy."  Herbert  Witherspoon, 
who  has  such  wonderful  experience  in  training 
voices,  states:  "We  ought  to  have  our  own 
standards  in  judging  American  voices;  until 
we  do  so,  we  will  be  constantly  comparing  them 
with  the  voices  of  foreign  singers.  The  qual- 
ity of  the  American  voice  is  different  from  the 
quality  found  in  the  voices  of  other  countries. 


The  Coda  271 

To  my  mind,  the  best  women's  voices  are  found 
right  here  in  our  midst."  And  he  adds :  "Any 
one  can  sing  beautifully  who  does  so  with  ease 
and  naturalness,  the  American  just  as  well  as 
those  of  any  other  country.  In  fact  I  consider 
American  voices,  in  general,  better  trained  than 
those  of  Italy,  Germany  or  France.  The  Ital- 
ian, in  particular,  has  very  little  knowledge  of 
the  scientific  side;  he  usually  sings  by  intui- 
tion." 

AMERICAN   VOICE   TEACHERS 

If  this  be  accepted,  that  American  voices  are 
better  trained  than  those  of  other  countries,  and 
there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  the  statement  of 
masters  of  such  standing,  it  follows  there  must 
be  competent  instructors  in  the  art  of  song 
right  in  our  own  land.  Mme.  Easton  agrees 
with  this.  "There  are  plenty  of  good  vocal 
teachers  in  America,"  she  says,  "not  only  in 
New  York  City,  but  in  other  large  cities  of  this 
great  country.  There  is  always  the  problem, 
however,  of  securing  just  the  right  kind  of  a 
teacher.  For  a  teacher  may  be  excellent  for 
one  voice  but  not  for  another."  Morgan 
Kingston  asserts:  "There  is  no  need  for  an 
American  to  go  out  of  his  own  country  for 
vocal  instruction  or  languages;  all  can  be 


272  Focal  Mastery 

learned  right  here  at  home.  I  am  a  living 
proof  of  this.  What  I  have  done  others  can 
do."  "You  have  excellent  vocal  teachers  right 
here  in  America,"  says  Mme.  Hempel.  Then 
she  marvels,  that  with  all  these  advantages  at 
her  door,  there  are  not  more  American  girls 
who  make  good.  She  lays  it  to  the  fact  that 
our  girls  try  to  combine  a  social  life  with  their 
musical  studies,  to  the  great  detriment  of  the 
latter. 

ARE  AMERICAN  VOCAL  STUDENTS  SUPERFICIAL? 

It  is  doubtless  a  great  temptation  to  the 
American  girl  who  possesses  a  voice  and  good 
looks,  who  is  a  favorite  socially,  to  neglect  her 
studies  at  times,  for  social  gaiety.  She  is  in 
such  haste  to  make  something  of  herself,  to  get 
where  she  can  earn  a  little  with  her  voice;  yet 
by  yielding  to  other  calls  she  defeats  the  very 
purpose  for  which  she  is  striving  by  a  lowered 
ideal  of  her  art.  Let  us  see  how  the  artists  and 
teachers  view  this  state  of  things.  Lehmann 
says: 

"The  trouble  with  American  girls  is  they  are 
always  in  a  hurry.  They  are  not  content  to  sit 
down  quietly  and  study  till  they  have  developed 
themselves  into  something  before  they  ever 
think  of  coming  to  Europe.  They  think  if 


The  Coda  273 

they  can  only  come  over  here  and  sing  for  an 
artist,  that  fact  alone  will  give  them  prestige  in 
America.  With  us  American  girls  are  too 
often  looked  upon  as  superficial  because  they 
come  over  here  quite  unprepared.  I  say  to 
them:  Go  home  and  study;  there  are  plenty 
of  good  teachers  of  voice  and  piano  in  your 
own  land.  Then,  when  you  can  sing,  come 
here  if  you  wish." 

Frieda  Hempel  speaks  from  close  observa- 
tion when  she  says:  "Here  in  America,  girls 
do  not  realize  the  amount  of  labor  and  sacrifice 
involved,  or  they  might  not  be  so  eager  to  enter 
upon  a  musical  career.  They  are  too  much 
taken  up  with  teas,  parties,  and  social  functions 
to  have  sufficient  time  to  devote  to  vocal  study 
and  to  all  that  goes  with  it.  In  order  to  study 
all  the  subjects  required,  the  girl  with  a  voice 
must  be  willing  to  give  most  of  her  day  to  work. 
This  means  sacrificing  the  social  side,  and  being 
willing  to  throw  herself  heart  and  soul  into  the 
business  of  adequately  preparing  herself  for 
her  career." 

THE  VOCAL  STUDENT  MUST  NOT  BE  AFRAID  TO 
WORK 

In  the  words  of  Caruso's  message  to  vocal 
students,  they  must  be  willing  "to  work — to 


274  Focal  Mastery 

work  always — and  to  sacrifice."  But  Geral- 
dine  Farrar  does  not  consider  this  in  the  light 
of  sacrifice.  Her  message  to  the  young  singer 
is: 

"Stick  to  your  work  and  study  systematic- 
ally, whole-heartedly.  If  you  do  not  love  your 
work  enough  to  give  it  your  best  thought,  to 
make  sacrifices  for  it,  then  there  is  something 
wrong  with  you.  Better  choose  some  other 
line  of  work,  to  which  you  can  give  undivided 
attention  and  devotion.  For  music  requires 
both.  As  for  sacrifices,  they  really  do  not  ex- 
ist, if  they  promote  the  thing  you  honestly  love 
most.  You  must  never  stop  studying,  for 
there  is  always  so  much  to  learn."  "I  have 
developed  my  voice  through  arduous  toil,"  to 
quote  Mme.  Galli-Curci.  Raisa  says:  "One 
cannot  expect  to  succeed  in  the  profession  of 
music  without  giving  one's  best  time  and 
thought  to  the  work  of  vocal  training  and  all 
the  other  subjects  that  go  with  it.  A  man  in 
business  gives  his  day,  or  the  most  of  it,  to  his 
office.  My  time  is  devoted  to  my  art,  and  in- 
deed I  have  not  any  too  much  time  to  study  all 
the  necessary  sides  of  it." 

"I  am  always  studying,  always  striving  to 
improve  what  I  have  already  learned  and  try- 
ing to  acquire  the  things  I  find  difficult,  or 


The  Coda  275 

have    not    yet    attained    to,"    testifies    Mme. 
Homer. 

THE  REQUIREMENTS  FOR  A  TOCAL  CAREER 

Those  who  have  been  through  the  necessary 
drudgery  and  struggle  and  have  won  out, 
should  be  able  to  give  an  authoritative  answer 
to  this  all  important  question.  They  know 
what  they  started  with,  what  any  singer  must 
possess  at  the  beginning,  and  what  she  must  ac- 
quire. 

Naturally  the  singer  must  have  a  voice,  for 
there  is  no  use  trying  to  cultivate  something 
which  does  not  exist.  All  artists  subscribe  to 
this.  They  also  affirm  she  should  have  good 
looks,  a  love  for  music  and  a  musical  nature. 
Let  us  hear  from  Mme.  Homer  on  this  subject. 

"1.  Voice,  first  of  all.  2.  Intelligence;  for 
intelligence  controls,  directs,  shines  through 
and  illumines  everything.  What  can  be  done 
without  it?  3.  Musical  nature.  4.  Capacity 
for  Work.  Without  application,  the  gifts  of 
voice,  intelligence  and  a  musical  nature  will  not 
make  an  artist.  5.  A  cheerful  optimism, 
which  refuses  to  yield  to  discouragement.  6. 
Patience.  It  is  only  with  patient  striving,  do- 
ing the  daily  vocal  task,  and  trying  to  do  it  each 
day  a  little  better  than  the  day  before,  that  any- 


276  Vocal  Mastery 

thing  worth  while  is  accomplished.  The  stu- 
dent must  have  unlimited  patience  to  labor  and 
wait  for  results." 

Mr.  Witherspoon  states,  that  students  com- 
ing to  him  must  possess  "Voice,  to  begin  with ; 
youth,  good  looks,  musical  intelligence  and 
application.  If  the  candidate  possess  these 
requisites,  we  begin  to  work."  Anna  Case  an- 
swers the  question  as  to  the  vital  requisites  nec- 
essary to  become  a  singer:  "Brains,  Person- 
ality, Voice." 

Quotations  could  be  multiplied  to  prove  that 
all  artists  fully  concur  with  those  already  men- 
tioned. There  must  be  a  promising  voice  to 
cultivate,  youth,  good  looks,  (for  a  public  ca- 
reer) and  the  utmost  devotion  to  work. 

WHAT  BRANCHES  OF  STUDY  MUST  BE  TAKEN  UP  ? 

All  agree  there  are  many  other  subjects  to 
study  besides  singing;  that  alone  is  far  from 
sufficient.  Edward  Johnson  says:  "Singing 
itself  is  only  a  part,  perhaps  the  smaller  part  of 
one's  equipment.  If  opera  be  the  goal,  there 
are  languages,  acting,  make  up,  impersonation, 
interpretation,  how  to  walk,  all  to  be  added  to 
piano,  harmony  and  languages.  The  most  im- 
portant of  all  is  a  musical  education." 

Most  of  the  great  singers  have  emphatically 


The  Coda  277 

expressed  themselves  in  favor  of  piano  study. 
Indeed,  many  were  pianists  in  the  beginning, 
before  they  began  to  develop  the  voice. 
Among  those  who  had  this  training  are:  Gal- 
li-Curci,  Lehmann,  Raisa,  D'Alvarez,  Bar- 
rientos,  Braslau,  Case.  Miss  Braslau  says: 
"I  am  so  grateful  for  my  knowledge  of  the 
piano  and  its  literature ;  it  is  the  greatest  help 
to  me  now.  To  my  thinking  all  children 
should  have  piano  lessons;  the  cost  is  trifling 
compared  with  the  benefits  they  receive.  They 
should  be  made  to  study,  whether  they  wish  it 
or  not,  for  they  do  not  know  what  is  best  for 
them." 

Mme.  Raisa  says :  "There  are  so  many  sides 
to  the  singer's  equipment  besides  singing  itself. 
The  piano  is  a  necessity;  the  singer  is  greatly 
handicapped  without  a  knowledge  of  that  in- 
strument, for  it  not  only  provides  accompani- 
ment but  cultivates  musical  sense."  "The  vo- 
cal student  should  study  piano  as  well  as  lan- 
guages," asserts  Mme.  Homer;  "both  are  the 
essentials.  Not  that  she  need  strive  to  become 
a  pianist;  that  would  not  be  possible  if  she  is 
destined  to  be  a  singer.  But  the  more  she 
knows  of  the  piano  and  its  literature,  the  more 
this  will  cultivate  her  musical  sense  and  develop 
her  taste." 


278  Focal  Mastery 

Florence  Easton  is  even  more  emphatic. 
"If  a  girl  is  fond  of  music,  let  her  first  study 
the  piano,  for  a  knowledge  of  the  piano  and  its 
music  is  at  the  bottom  of  everything.  All  chil- 
dren should  have  this  opportunity,  whether 
they  desire  it  or  not.  The  child  who  early  be- 
gins to  study  piano,  will  often  unconsciously 
follow  the  melody  with  her  voice.  Thus  the 
love  of  song  is  awakened  in  her,  and  a  little 
later  it  is  discovered  she  has  a  voice  worth  culti- 
vating." 

On  the  subject  of  languages,  artists  are 
equally  specific.  Languages  are  an  absolute 
necessity,  beginning  with  one's  mother  tongue. 
The  student  should  not  imagine  that  because  he 
is  born  to  the  English  language,  it  does  not  re- 
quire careful  study.  Galli-Curci  remarks: 
"The  singer  can  always  be  considered  fortunate 
who  has  been  brought  up  to  more  than  one  lan- 
guage. I  learned  Spanish  and  Italian  at 
home.  In  school  I  learned  French,  German 
and  English,  not  only  a  little  smattering  of 
each,  but  how  to  write  and  speak  them." 

Rosa  Raisa  speaks  eight  languages,  accord- 
ing to  her  personal  statement.  Russian,  of 
course,  as  she  is  Russian,  then  French,  Italian, 
German,  Spanish,  Polish,  Roumanian  and 
English. 


The  Coda  279 

"The  duty  is  laid  upon  Americans  to  study 
other  languages,  if  they  expect  to  sing,"  says 
Florence  Easton.  "I  know  how  often  this 
study  is  neglected  by  the  student.  It  is  only 
another  phase  of  that  haste  which  is  character- 
istic of  the  young  student  and  singer." 

BREATH    CONTROL 

Following  the  subject  of  requirements  for  a 
vocal  career,  let  us  get  right  down  to  the  tech- 
nical side,  and  review  the  ideas  of  artists  on 
Breath  Control,  How  to  Practice,  What  are 
the  Necessary  Exercises,  What  Vowels  Should 
be  Used,  and  so  on. 

All  admit  that  the  subject  of  Breath  Control 
is  perhaps  the  most  important  of  all.  Leh- 
mann  says:  "I  practice  many  breathing  exer- 
cises without  using  tone.  Breath  becomes 
voice  through  effort  of  will  and  by  use  of  vocal 
organs.  When  singing,  emit  the  smallest 
quantity  of  breath.  Vocal  chords  are  breath 
regulators;  relieve  them  of  all  overwork." 

Mme.  Galli-Curci  remarks:  "Perhaps,  in 
vocal  mastery,  the  greatest  factor  of  all  is  the 
breathing.  To  control  the  breath  is  what  each 
student  is  striving  to  learn,  what  every  singer 
endeavors  to  perfect,  what  every  artist  should 
master.  It  is  an  almost  endless  study  and  an 


280  Vocal  Mastery 

individual  one,  because  each  organism  and 
mentality  is  different." 

Marguerite  d'Alvarez:  "In  handling  and 
training  the  voice,  breathing  is  perhaps  the 
most  vital  thing  to  be  considered.  To  some 
breath  control  seems  second  nature;  others 
must  toil  for  it.  With  me  it  is  intuition. 
Breathing  is  such  an  individual  thing.  With 
each  person  it  is  different,  for  no  two  people 
breathe  in  just  the  same  way." 

Claudia  Muzio:  "Every  singer  knows  how 
important  is  the  management  of  breath.  I  al- 
ways hold  up  the  chest,  taking  as  deep  breaths 
as  I  can  conveniently.  The  power  to  hold  the 
breath  and  sing  more  and  more  tones  with  one 
breath,  grows  with  careful,  intelligent  prac- 
tice." 

Frieda  Hempel:  "The  very  first  thing  for 
a  singer  to  consider  is  breath  control — always 
the  breathing,  the  breathing.  She  thinks  of  it 
morning,  noon  and  night.  Even  before  ris- 
ing in  the  morning  she  has  it  on  her  mind,  and 
may  do  a  few  little  stunts  while  still  reclining. 
Then,  before  beginning  vocal  technic  in  the 
morning,  she  goes  through  a  series  of  breathing 
exercises." 

David  Bispham:  "Correct  breath  control 
must  be  carefully  studied  and  is  the  result  of 


The  Coda  281 

understanding  and  experience.  When  the 
manner  of  taking  breath  and  the  way  to  de- 
velop the  diaphragm  and  abdominal  muscles, 
is  understood,  that  is  only  a  beginning.  Man- 
agement of  the  breath  is  an  art  in  itself.  The 
singer  must  know  what  to  do  with  the  breath 
once  he  has  taken  it  in,  or  he  may  let  it  out  in 
quarts  when  he  opens  his  mouth.  He  learns 
how  much  he  needs  for  each  phrase;  he  learns 
how  to  conserve  the  breath." 

Oscar  Saenger:  "The  management  of  the 
breath  is  a  most  important  factor,  as  the  life  of 
the  tone  depends  on  a  continuance  of  the 
breath.  The  student  must  cultivate  the  power 
of  quickly  inhaling  a  full  breath,  and  exhaling 
it  so  gradually  that  she  can  sing  a  phrase  last- 
ing from  ten  to  twenty  seconds.  This  needs 
months  of  arduous  practice.  In  all  breathing, 
inhale  through  the  nose." 

Yeatman  Griffith:  "Breath  control  is  in- 
deed a  vital  need,  but  should  not  be  made  a 
bugbear  to  be  greatly  feared.  Most  students 
make  breathing  and  breath  control  a  difficult 
matter,  when  it  should  be  a  natural  and  easy 
act.  They  do  not  need  the  large  amount  of 
breath  they  imagine  they  do,  for  a  much 
smaller  quantity  will  suffice.  When  you  open 
the  lips  after  a  full,  natural  breath,  do  not  let 


282  Focal  Mastery 

the  breath  escape;  the  vocal  chords  will  make 
the  tone,  if  you  understand  how  to  make  a  per- 
fect start." 

SPECIFIC   EXERCISES 

Great  singers  are  chary  of  giving  out  vocal 
exercises  which  they  have  discovered,  evolved, 
or  have  used  so  constantly  as  to  consider  them  a 
part  of  their  own  personal  equipment,  for  rea- 
sons stated  earlier  in  this  chapter.  However, 
a  few  artists  have  indicated  certain  forms  which 
they  use.  Mme.  d'Alvarez  remarks :  "When 
I  begin  to  study  in  the  morning,  I  give  the 
voice  what  I  call  a  massage.  This  consists  of 
humming  exercises,  with  closed  lips.  Hum- 
ming is  the  sunshine  of  the  voice.  One  exercise 
is  a  short  figure  of  four  consecutive  notes  of 
the  diatonic  scale,  ascending  and  descending 
several  times;  on  each  repetition  of  the  group 
of  phrases,  the  new  set  begins  on  the  next 
higher  note  of  the  scale.  This  exercise  brings 
the  tone  fully  forward." 

Lehmann  counsels  the  young  voice  to  begin 
in  the  middle  and  work  both  ways.  Begin  sin- 
gle tones  piano,  make  a  long  crescendo  and  re- 
turn to  piano.  Another  exercise  employs  two 
connecting  half  tones,  using  one  or  two  vowels. 
During  practice  stand  before  a  mirror. 


The  Coda  283 

Raisa  assures  us  she  works  at  technic  every 
day.  "Vocalizes,  scales,  broken  thirds,  long, 
slow  tones  in  mezza  di  voce — that  is  beginning 
softly,  swelling  to  loud,  then  diminuendo  to 
soft,  are  part  of  the  daily  regime."  Farrar 
works  on  scales  and  single  tones  daily.  Muzio 
says:  "I  sing  all  the  scales,  one  octave  each, 
once  slow  and  once  fast — all  in  one  breath. 
Then  I  sing  triplets  on  each  tone,  as  many  as  I 
can  in  one  breath.  Another  exercise  is  to  take 
one  tone  softly,  then  go  to  the  octave  above; 
this  tone  is  always  sung  softly,  but  there  is  a 
large  crescendo  between  the  two  soft  tones." 
Kingston  says:  "As  for  technical  material,  I 
have  never  used  a  great  quantity.  I  do  scales 
and  vocalizes  each  day.  I  also  make  daily  use 
of  about  a  dozen  exercises  by  Rubini.  Beyond 
these  I  make  technical  exercises  out  of  the 
pieces."  De  Luca  sings  scales  in  full  power, 
then  each  tone  alone,  softly,  then  swelling  to 
full  strength  and  dying  away.  Bispham:  "I 
give  many  vocalizes  and  exercises,  which  I  in- 
vent to  fit  the  need  of  each  student.  They  are 
not  written  down,  simply  remembered.  I  also 
make  exercises  out  of  familiar  tunes  or  themes 
from  opera.  Thus,  while  the  student  is  study- 
ing technic,  he  is  acquiring  much  beautiful  ma- 
terial." 


284  Vocal  Mastery 

Oscar  Saenger :  "We  begin  by  uniting  two 
tones  smoothly  and  evenly,  then  three  in  the 
same  way ;  afterwards  four  and  five.  Then  the 
scale  of  one  octave.  Arpeggios  are  also  most 
important.  The  trill  is  the  most  difficult  of 
all  vocal  exercises.  We  begin  with  quarter 
notes,  then  eighths  and  sixteenths.  The  trill  is 
taken  on  each  tone  of  the  voice,  in  major  sec- 
onds." Werrenrath:  "I  do  a  lot  of  gymnas- 
tics each  day,  to  exercise  the  voice  and  limber 
up  the  anatomy.  These  act  as  a  massage  for 
the  voice;  they  are  in  the  nature  of  humming, 
mingled  with  grunts,  calls,  exclamations, 
shouts,  and  many  kinds  of  sounds.  They  put 
the  voice  in  condition,  so  there  is  no  need  for  all 
these  other  exercises  which  most  singers  find  so 
essential  to  their  vocal  well  being." 

Duval  asserts:  "Long,  sustained  tones  are 
too  difficult  for  the  young  voice.  One  should 
sing  medium  fast  scales  at  first." 

LENGTH  OF  TIME  FOR  DAILY  PRACTICE 

It  may  be  helpful  to  know  about  how  much 
time  the  artists  devote  to  daily  study,  especially 
to  technical  practice.  It  is  understood  all 
great  singers  work  on  vocalizes  and  technical 
material  daily. 

Caruso  is  a  constant  worker.     Two  or  three 


The  Coda  285 

hours  in  the  forenoon,  and  several  more  later  in 
the  day,  whenever  possible.  Farrar  devotes 
between  one  and  two  hours  daily  to  vocalizes, 
scales  and  tone  study,  Lehmann  counsels  one 
hour  daily  on  technic.  Galli-Curci  gives  a  half 
hour  or  so  to  vocalizes  and  scales  every  morn- 
ing. Martinelli  practices  exercises  and  vocal- 
izes one  hour  each  morning ;  then  another  hour 
on  repertoire.  In  the  afternoon  an  hour  more 
— three  hours  daily.  Eastonsays:  "It  seems 
to  me  a  young  singer  should  not  practice  more 
than  an  hour  a  day,  at  most,  beginning  with 
two  periods  of  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  each." 
Anna  Case  says :  "I  never  practice  when  I  am 
tired,  for  then  it  does  more  harm  than  good. 
One  must  be  in  good  condition  to  make  good 
tones.  I  can  study  and  not  sing  at  all,  for  the 
work  is  all  mental  anyway."  Muzio  states  she 
gives  practically  her  whole  day  to  study,  di- 
viding it  into  short  periods,  with  rest  between. 

Frieda  Hempel  says:  "I  do  about  two 
hours  or  more,  though  not  all  of  this  for  technic. 
I  approve  of  a  good  deal  of  technical  study, 
taken  in  small  doses  of  ten  to  fifteen  minutes  at 
a  time.  Technic  is  a  means  to  an  end,  more  in 
the  art  of  song  than  in  almost  any  other  form  of 
art.  Technic  is  the  background  of  expressive 
singing." 


286  Focal  Mastery 

Sophie  Braslau  is  an  incessant  worker, — "at 
least  six  hours  a  day.  Of  these  I  actually  sing 
three  hours.  The  first  hour  to  memory  work 
on  repertoire.  The  second  hour  to  vocalizes. 
The  rest  of  the  time  is  given  to  repertoire  and 
the  things  that  belong  to  it."  Barrientos  states 
she  gives  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour  to 
vocal  technic — scales  and  exercises — each  day. 
Duval  advises  the  young  student  to  practice 
two  half  hours  daily,  two  hours  after  eating, 
and  rest  the  voice  one  day  each  week,  during 
which  she  studies  other  subjects  connected  with 
her  art.  Oscar  Saenger  says:  "One  should 
practice  in  fifteen-minute  periods,  and  rest  at 
least  ten  minutes  between.  Sing  only  two 
hours  a  day,  one  in  the  morning  and  one  in 
afternoon." 

WHAT   VOWELS   TO   USE 

There  seems  a  divergence  of  opinion  as  to 
what  vowels  are  most  beneficial  in  technical 
practice  and  study.  Galli-Curci  says:  "In 
my  own  study  I  use  them  all,  though  some  are 
more  valuable  than  others.  The  Ah  is  the 
most  difficult  of  all.  The  O  is  good ;  E  needs 
great  care.  I  have  found  the  best  way  is  to 
use  mixed  vowels,  one  melting  into  the  other. 
The  tone  can  be  started  with  each  vowel  in 


The  Coda  287 

turn,  then  mingled  with  the  rest  of  the  vowels." 
Mme.  d' Alvarez  often  starts  the  tone  with  Ah, 
which  melts  into  O  and  later  changes  to  U,  as 
the  tone  dies  away.  Bispham  has  the  student 
use  various  vowel  syllables,  as:  Lah,  Mali, 
May,  and  Mi.  With  Oscar  Saenger  the  pupil 
in  early  stages  at  least,  uses  Ah  for  vocalizes. 
Duval  requires  students  to  use  the  vowel  Ah, 
for  exercises  and  scales,  finding  the  others  are 
not  needed,  especially  excluding  E  and  U  as  in- 
jurious. Griffith  uses  each  vowel  in  turn,  pre- 
ceded by  all  the  consonants  of  the  alphabet, 
one  after  another. 

HALF   OR    FULL   VOICE? 

Shall  the  young  singer  practice  with  half  or 
full  voice  seems  a  matter  depending  on  one's 
individual  attainments.  De  Luca  uses  full 
power  during  practice,  while  Raisa  sings  softly, 
or  with  medium  tone,  during  study  hours,  ex- 
cept occasionally  when  she  wishes  to  try  out 
certain  effects.  Martinelli  states  he  always 
practices  with  full  voice,  as  with  half  voice  he 
would  not  derive  the  needed  benefit.  Mme. 
Easton  admits  she  does  not,  as  a  rule,  use  full 
voice  when  at  work;  but  adds,  this  admission 
might  prove  injurious  to  the  young  singer,  for 
half  voice  might  result  in  faulty  tone  produc- 


288  Focal  Mastery 

tion.  Anna  Case  says  when  at  work  on  a  song 
in  her  music  room,  she  sings  it  with  the  same 
power  as  she  would  before  an  audience.  She 
has  not  two  ways  of  doing  it,  one  for  a  small 
room  and  another  for  a  large  one.  Mr.  Duval 
advises  the  young  pupil  to  sing  tones  as  loudly 
and  deeply  as  possible.  Singing  pianissimo  is 
another  fallacy  for  a  young  voice.  This  is  one 
of  the  most  difficult  accomplishments,  and 
should^  be  reserved  for  a  later  period.  Oscar 
Saenger:  "The  tone  should  be  free,  round 
and  full,  but  not  loud." 

HEARING   YOURSELF 

Does  the  singer  really  hear  himself  is  a  ques- 
tion which  has  been  put  to  nearly  every  artist. 
Many  answered  in  a  comparative  negative, 
though  with  qualifications.  Miss  Farrar  said: 

"No,  I  do  not  actually  hear  my  voice,  except 
in  a  general  way,  but  we  learn  to  know  the  sen- 
sations produced  in  throat,  head,  face,  lips  and 
other  parts  of  the  anatomy,  which  vibrate  in  a 
certain  manner  to  correct  tone  production. 
We  learn  the  feeling  of  the  tone."  "I  can  tell 
just  how  I  am  singing  a  tone  or  phrase,"  says 
De  Luca,  "by  the  feeling  and  sensation ;  for  of 
course  I  cannot  hear  the  full  effect;  no  singer 
can  really  hear  the  effect  of  his  work,  except  on 


The  Coda  289 

the  records."  "The  singer  must  judge  so 
much  from  sensation,  for  she  cannot  very  well 
hear  herself,  that  is,  she  cannot  tell  the  full  ef- 
fect of  what  she  is  doing,"  says  Anna  Case. 
Mr.  Witherspoon  says :  "The  singer  of  course 
hears  himself  and  with  study  learns  to  hear 
himself  better.  The  singer  should  depend 
more  on  hearing  the  sound  he  makes  than  on 
feeling  the  sound.  In  other  words,  train  the 
ear,  the  court  of  ultimate  resort,  and  the  only 
judge,  and  forget  sensation  as  much  as  pos- 
sible, for  the  latter  leads  to  a  million  confu- 
sions." 

VOCAL  MASTERY,  FROM  THE  ARTISTS'  VIEWPOINT 

Farrar:  "A  thing  that  is  mastered  must  be 
really  perfect.  To  master  vocal  art,  the  singer 
must  have  so  developed  his  voice  that  it  is  un- 
der complete  control;  then  he  can  do  with  it 
what  he  wishes.  He  must  be  able  to  produce 
all  he  desires  of  power,  pianissimo,  accent, 
shading,  delicacy  and  variety  of  color." 

Galli-Curci:  "To  sum  up:  the  three  re- 
quirements of  vocal  mastery  are:  Manage- 
ment of  the  Larynx;  Relaxation  of  the  Dia- 
phragm; Control  of  the  Breath.  To  these 
might  be  added  a  fourth:  Mixed  Vowels. 
But  when  these  are  mastered,  what  then?  Ah, 


290  Vocal  Mastery 

so  much  more  it  can  never  be  put  into  words. 
It  is  self-expression  through  the  medium  of 
tone,  for  tone  must  always  be  a  vital  part  of  the 
singer's  individuality,  colored  by  feeling  and 
emotion.  To  perfect  one's  own  instrument, 
must  always  be  the  singer's  joy  and  satisfac- 
tion." 

Raisa:  "If  I  have  developed  perfect  con- 
trol throughout  the  two  and  a  half  octaves  of 
my  voice,  can  make  each  tone  with  pure  quality 
and  perfect  evenness  in  the  different  degrees  of 
loud  and  soft,  and  if  I  have  perfect  breath  con- 
trol as  well,  I  then  have  an  equipment  that 
may  serve  all  purposes  of  interpretation.  For 
together  with  vocal  mastery  must  go  the  art  of 
interpretation,  in  which  all  the  mastery  of  the 
vocal  equipment  may  find  expression.  In  or- 
der to  interpret  adequately  one  ought  to  possess 
a  perfect  instrument,  perfectly  trained. 
When  this  is  the  case  one  can  forget  mechan- 
ism, because  confident  of  the  ability  to  express 
any  desired  emotion." 

Homer:  "The  singer  must  master  all  dif- 
ficulties of  technic,  of  tone  production  in  or- 
der to  be  able  to  express  the  thought  of  the 
composer,  and  the  meaning  of  the  music." 

Werrenrath:  "I  can  answer  the  question  in 
one  word — Disregard.  For  if  you  have  com- 


The  Coda  291 

plete  control  of  your  anatomy  and  such  com- 
mand of  your  vocal  resources  that  they  will  al- 
ways do  their  work ;  that  they  can  be  depended 
on  to  act  perfectly,  then  you  can  disregard 
mechanism  and  think  only  of  the  interpretation 
— only  of  your  vocal  message.  Then  you  have 
conquered  the  material  and  have  attained  Vocal 
Mastery." 

Kingston:  "Vocal  Mastery  includes  so 
many  things.  First  and  foremost,  vocal  tech- 
nic.  One  must  have  an  excellent  technic  be- 
fore one  can  hope  to  sing  even  moderately  well. 
Technic  furnishes  the  tool  with  which  the  singer 
creates  his  vocal  art  work.  Then  the  singer 
must  work  on  his  moral  nature  so  that  he 
shall  express  the  beautiful  and  pure  in  music. 
Until  I  have  thus  prepared  myself,  I  am  not 
doing  my  whole  duty  to  myself,  my  art  or  to 
my  neighbor." 

Griffith:  "Vocal  Mastery  is  acquired 
through  correct  understanding  of  what  consti- 
tutes pure  vowel  sounds,  and  such  control  of 
the  breath  as  will  enable  one  to  convert  every 
atom  of  breath  into  singing  tone.  This  estab- 
lishes correct  action  of  the  vocal  chords  and 
puts  the  singer  in  possession  of  the  various  tints 
of  the  voice. 

"When  the  vocal  chords  are  allowed  to  pro- 


292  Focal  Mastery 

duce  pure  vowels,  correct  action  is  the  result, 
and  with  proper  breath  support,  Vocal  Mas- 
tery can  be  assured." 

Duval:  "What  is  Vocal  Mastery?  Every 
great  artist  has  his  own  peculiar  manner  of  ac- 
complishing results — has  his  own  vocal  mas- 
tery. Patti  had  one  kind,  Maurel  another, 
Lehmanri  still  another.  Caruso  may  also  be 
said  to  have  his  own  vocal  mastery. 

"In  fine,  as  every  great  artist  is  different 
from  his  compeers,  there  can  be  no  fixed  and 
fast  standard  of  vocal  mastery,  except  the  mas- 
tery of  doing  a  great  thing  greatly  and  con- 
vincingly." 


THE  END 


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